~ Dyeing, .... Naturally ~

 

 

 

 

 Good Morning Friends & Folk!

and a very happy Sunday to us all...
hoping you're all safe, happy & healthy this Memorial Day Weekend ~ 

 I've been saving all kinds of things for natural dyeing, avocado stones and peels, onion skins, flowers, leaves and grasses.

I wanted to just dye a couple of skeins of 'white' {beige, flax, ecru, etc.} colors to see how they would tun out. Mind you, they are not heavily dyed, but more subtly, which is a wonderful look!

I simmered my avocado stones & peels then plopped in the cotton thread skeins...all in the same pot, and let them simmer for about an hour.

 

 this is the result when still wet:

after drip drying for a little while, I then carried them outside
and dried them in the full sun, turning them and separating the threads a bit more...

and here they are all dried:

 

you can see the differences in their hues better in the photo above than below ~
I really do like the way they came out!

I made enough of the dye that I jarred it,
into the jar of dye I added one solitary clove
to keep the natural dye from spoiling until I use it again. 

 

I'm planning on using these skeins in a punch needle project design
that is living in my sketchbook...

~ I'll share that with you in my next post :)

 

Blessings from the Farm
~ Lori

~ Dyeing Naturally... ~

 

Good Morning Friends & Folk ~

it's been a minute since I've been able to actually sit and write a new blog post...

I do apologize, but I'm here now and that's what counts!

The Oaks and the Black Walnut trees have been gifting us 

with more than their share of nuts & acorns this year ~

٭ ✴ ✵ ✶ ✷ ✸ ✹ ★ ✹ ✸ ✷ ✶ ✵ ✴ ٭

 

 I have taken my cue for this posting from my Dear Friend Nancy Duncan

{remember the fabulous blog named The Bonny White Hare?}

Nancy & I are friends through time, 

~ friends through space and

we talk via this crazy internet...

 ~ it is a blessing to open my gmail and see one of her {almost} daily 'letters' to me.

Nancy is well-versed in many things, 

and she & I connect on so many different and varied subjects;

the other day she was telling me how she planned to dye some cloth with acorns 

and then showed me the results of her work.

Yesterday I gathered acorns on my daily morning walk in our woods and field,

and threw in a couple of black walnuts for good luck ~

 

I found some scraps of linen, osnaburg 

and a small piece of green/cream polka dot fabric for the dye pot...

I put the acorns and black walnuts into an old steamerpot that I use for dyeing,

and let them bubble for a good while on the stove.

 

 

Once my dyebath was dark enough for my liking,

in went my cloth ~ then bubbled that for a while too...

 

Afterwards I glugged-in a bit of white vinegar to set the dye into the cloth

and let the pot/dye/fabric cool slowly.

 

...then it was out to my clothesline to hang to dry ~

{the fabric shows darker when it is wet}

 

this is the end result, below...

very primitive, old looking and perfect for one of my naive

UNcounted cross stitch projects ~

 

 

I may finish this project into a small pillow using the polka dot fabric aforementioned...

or may just simply frame it in a black frame.

 

✯ ✫ ✬ ✭ ✮ ☪ ✮ ✭ ✬ ✫ ✯

I am hoping to have another

 Etsy Shop Update for Finished Goods soon!

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori

~ Dyeing ~

I want to do this:

photo from Pinterest

{oh, wait....}

 lol I AM happy here! 

our farm is made of deep woods, open fields, creek-beds and blossoms ~

tall trees and ground lichen

moss & mushrooms

& everything wild in-between.

photo from Pinterest

 what do we 'farm' you ask?

the earth, and all that springs from it...

hay for our animals, vegetables for our bellies, herbs for our medicines

and flowers for our souls.

I also want to do this:

photo from Pinterest

photo from Pinterest

photo from Pinterest

...try my hand at doing more dyeing of my own textiles for use in my embroidery/needlework...

I would love to also make some of my own clothing from said textiles, or at least eco dye already finished garments for myself to wear ~

 

I am collecting leaves, both green and not-so.

 those below are dried Nadina leaves, dotted with fungi...

a few black walnut leaves, more nandina and a few hydrangea leaves ~ 

to add to the mix:

a rust/vinegar mordant is brewing in my old jars out in the sun ~

the rust will come from the many pins, needles & iron scraps found here at this old homeplace...

and the liquid will turn a beautiful shade and deepen with age,

then I will begin my process of laying leaves & petals, 

along with other botanicals on my prepared fabric ~

 

I am starting out small, using Osnaburg as my base fabric choice, 

which I will use for my embroidery ~ 

it is soaking inn a solution of clear dish-soap and salt,

to open the fibers to better take the dye...

 

...the seeds in the Osnaburg fabric 

will make for an interesting combo with the dyeing outcome ~

can't wait for the mordant to brew!

stay tuned for the results, I'm hoping a week of brewing will get me the right color.

{perhaps sooner if I am not patient enough!}

~ are any of my readers here dyers?

~ what are your favorite methods for natural dyeing {not using processed/commercial dyes}

~ how long have you been dyeing?

would love to hear your input....

 

Blessings from the Farm

 ~ Lori