Following on from the fantastic Ecodyeing workshop I went on , I decided I would try and put what I learnt into practise with plants from my own garden.
First I made up a dye bath with Elderberry leaves and stems.
I think it would have been better if I had not included the woody stems , as I felt they were just taking space and not really contributing.
I made fours bundles, one silk noil, two from mordanted cotton and one from a piece of felt that had previously been dyed with alder. Here are three of them waiting to be untied.
My results are not very fantastic , but it was only my first attempt.
This is a cotton piece with a copper rod , quite bright greens , from the copper I think and lots of blotches from the onions pieces. Here the piece dried.
One of the cotton fabrics had only recently been alumed , and really has not worked well and the felt whilst slightly brightened by the addition of the onion but not very promising at all. I was actually looking for a miracle I started with a piece I did not really like.
The best is the silk , where I am quite pleased of my rose leaf ,maple and willow prints.
I think overall I need some more practise and especially get better tying the bundles tighter and perhaps leave out the onion !
