jaciqltznok

do any of you gardeners grow flowers/herbs or vegetables just to use in dying fabrics?

I am adding some plants to the front perennial bed this year that will be just that. Plants for dying!
I already use beets, carrots, onion skins, the usual stuff, but wanted to add some heirloom plants that would have been used back in the day! Of course 90% of the mordants used back then are not illegal to use but I will do what I can with Alum, salt, cream of tartar and vinegar!

Here are my two fave sites for learning more about using plants for dying!
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/craft...turaldyes.html

this one you have to be careful and watch what mordants she recommends. In the UK they have different rules on mordants than our EPA does here!
http://www.wildcolours.co.uk/

penski

that sounds like to much work for me!!!

jaciqltznok

hardly..I love 65% of my flower bed to the heat last year, so we are removing what is left, putting in drip irrigation and misters, so might as well put in plants I can use instead of just "pretty" things! I dye fabric anyway, so why not play with the natural stuff?

mighty

I have never done anything like this. It does sound like fun!

DebraK

yes. it is surprising what you can use. I like flower pounding too

Teddybear Lady

What is a "mordant"? A preservative or something? I bet you have some pretty "earthy" colors from doing your own fabric dying.

jaciqltznok

yes, the mordant is what sets the color of the plant matter into the fibers of the cotton/wool, etc.
I tend to go for the stranger colors, always looking for purple, orange, pink, and green...though most plants come out brown, gold, yellow..hehehe

earthwalker

I haven't done any dyeing for years, but used to love experimenting with plants and tree barks. Heat and lack of water is a problem here in Western Australia, and where I live in the Darling Ranges the winds are punishing. Fortunately, mass plantings of natives as a wind break along with mulch, mulch and more mulch seem to result in less plant loss. Many herbs and plants I grow are most suitable for dyeing (and fortunately are not too "tender" to survive.

Thanks for the links.....I have been seriously thinking about getting back into dyeing, Whilst there are so many fantastic fabrics available....hand dyes have a special charm about them. Happy gardening (sorry Master Gardening). Please share some pics of your dyed fabrics....you know how we are about pics.

jaciqltznok

yes, Master gardening..hehehe I planted over 30 varieties of flower seeds, 16 herbs, and 28 vegetables today!
Now to watch for them to grow while I work on the beds/pots, etc...

Many of the plants for dying are also great butterfly/bee plants, so that helps in choosing what to plant!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]321850[/ATTACH]this pix is of the front bed two years ago...most of that is now gone, except for the lavender and mums. I have 80' across to replant!

zennia

Your garden was beautiful.Sorry you lost so much. I love gardening so your topic peeked my interest. The link was very interesting. I think I will have to try it this year.