Out of the dye pot. The yellow is marigold, the blue in the back is the red cabbage and the other is my first leaf print. It's elderberry leaf over-dyed with marigold for the main color and red Japanese maple leaves for the print.
I've been thinking a lot about how I've slowly created a garden that isn't just about food, but that can be used for crafting or medicinal purposes (herbs for salves mostly). About how important that is to me.
I have about two yards of raw silk that I dyed with the red cabbage. It's a bit bluer than this picture, more like the top picture. I'll be making a tank top with this fabric to use as an over-layer for summer weight shirts. Extending the season....
I'm finding I have much better results with the Marigolds (Tagetes) if I gather the flowers, pour boiling water over them, and let them sit for a couple hours before adding the fabric. I tried just solar heat and it was pretty pale.
My first leaf prints using the technique described in India Flint's book Eco Colour. I just received my copy last Saturday and love it! This picture shows the maple leaves under the silk. In the top picture the print the leaves made is visible.
I might have had more defined leaf prints if I'd been more patient, but it was the first....
Thinking about leaves turning color both in the spring and fall, about fabrics turning colors, about change, and cycles, and seasons, and circles.