I have been very intrigued by natural dyeing and recently purchased several books to get me started and I must say I’m very excited about this new fiberarts adventure.
Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook
The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes by Sasha Duerr
Craft of the Dyer by Karen Leigh Casselman
The Modern Natural Dyer by Kristine Vejar (Verb For Keeping Warm)
Natural Dyes by Julie Hardman and Sally Pinhey
A couple of weeks ago I took the plunge and tried solar dying with marigold flowers I collected. I boiled the flowers first to help extract the color. Next I mixed alum into the strained dye water and poured it into a large jar.
I let the fiber soak up the warmth of the sun for two days and then drained the jar, gently removed the fiber and squeezed out the excess dye water. I hung the fiber on a hang to dry in the sun, which took about four hours to completely dry.
With this first attempt of solar dying, I now want to dye more fiber using natural sources and botanicals. I really do think this will loads of fun and a wonderful next step in rounding off my love of the fiberarts.
Until next time, be creative!
Tina
My Life With Wool 