Fabric Dyeing

Oh what a wonderful day of learning and making and doing!! A friend had a textile party — a drop-in all day event to introduce us to dyeing with leaves. We worked on silk and cotton scarves, placing a variety of vegetation on treated fabric, then rolling it tightly around a rod and steaming the little packages to set the colors. That’s a pretty simplistic explanation; once I got home I read a little bit and the whole thing can get very complex depending on the kind of leaves you use, the stuff you soak the fabric in, timing, etc. I’m glad I didn’t read any of that before I tried it!  Our efforts were pretty random, and sometimes exquisitely beautiful. The main photo is of an unwrapping: the bundle has been taken from the steamer and we are about to see how the tannins in the leaves have affected the silk. There is no paint or extra dye involved, just the reaction of the leaves with the fabric. The Extra shows some of the pieces drying on the line. I loved the whole process. I want to try some more ideas. It’s a bit like knitting the chickens—you just have to try another one, and another.