Over the winter months I have been looking into the possibilities of eco dyeing, both paper and fabric. I have searched the internet for information, got hold of an old saucepan and with spring's new plant growth decided it was time to jump in and have a go. Sue Brown's recent Instagram post was also instrumental in pushing me into action (#sundaypromptswithSue).
My bundle included two strips of cartridge paper, a couple of watercolour paper offcuts and a bit of lightly tea-stained calico. On these I arranged bluebells, muscari (grape hyacinth)*, rose leaves, dandelions and ivy leaves. A couple of tablespoons of distilled vinegar was added to the small saucepan of water, weighted down with a couple of big stones and set to boil gently for an hour. I had forgotten to add either onion skins or any rusted elements to my bundle, so I just put these in the water as it came to the boil.
* On one site I visited the muscari was shown as producing a beautiful blue dye - I have a plentiful supply of this flower in my garden, but unfortunately they were really past their best. The bluebells did give a slight hint of blue, but perhaps I need to limit the different colours of plants I use in one batch to get a stronger result.
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| A hint of blue muscari and pink from the young rose leaves |
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| Dandelion flowers |
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| Bluebells and muscari |
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| The piece of fabric (at the top of this image) came out much darker than the papers |
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