I'm Dyeing {Naturally}

Howdy Friends & Folk ~

look at this loverly little marigold…

how happy she is!

how happy am I that bunches of them are in full bloom in my gardens?

very happy :)

Taking the time and care to dead-head them helps them bush out 

and become more & more full…

I keep the dried heads for future gardens, but

I like to use them to dye my wools ~

I'll show you how I do it, easy-peasy casserole dyeing!

first ~ gather your supplies:

glass baking dish

salt

aluminum foil

and light colored or natural wools

Then then put the kettle on ~

 make sure to have enough water in it to have a cup of tea too!

while the kettle boils,

place one end of your wool in the baking dish…

then sprinkle a handful of marigold heads on the wool….

then shake some salt on top of that…

then fold the wool back over on itself…

… and repeat the process of layering the marigold heads

 & salt with the wool.

like this!

oh I hear that kettle whistling!

now pour that hot water over your layered wools/flowers/salt….

just enough to cover the wool ~

I like to smoosh {technical term} 

my wools down with a wooden spoon a bit…

now cover the baking dish with the aluminum foil.

{the vinegar will be used in the next step}

place your covered dish in a hot oven set to 350*

for about an hour….

I use a timer cause i tend to get distracted ;)

after the hour is up,

carefully take out the dish and remove the tin foil ~ 

***HOT HOT HOT***

now pour some of that white vinegar onto the still-hot wool casserole..

and let it set on the counter to cool off slowly.

{cooling}

once cooled, now pour the liquid into a strainer in your sink to catch the marigolds….

then you can rinse the wool in warm NOT HOT or COLD water….

I squeeze the liquid out a little then hang it outside to dry on the line ~

and LOOK!

there's the before wool on the right, a natural check/texture

and my naturally died wool on the left….

not sure what I'll use it for ~ if I'll hook with it or use it for appliqué?

we'll see…

I have tons of black walnuts that I need to gather too, so I'll show you how to dye with those in an upcoming post….

Have fun today my friends ~ try something new and be creative!

~ Blessings from the Farm ~

 Lori