Your jars of petals really gladden the heart don't they, @Fire. That is a good way of storing them, for future creative endeavours and for ease of finding them and just the joy of seeing them! Reminds me of a countryside apothecary 🙃
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Fantastic restful results, @Fire. That iris reticulata is stunning too. Nice stencils patterns. Do you tend to use a particular sort of paper, for different results? (I have not had a chance to read the whole thread yet, so sorry if you have already mentioned that).
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To dry petals just make sure they are entirely dry before potting up. I turn mine every day after picking to make sure they don't rot - it can easily happen.
I have experimented with cartridge paper, water colour card and regular card stock.
If you can get a piece of tumeric root, that is a great way to experiment with drawing or stencilling - a bit like a crayon - the colour holds fantastically well.
That makes sense about turning the petals @Fire. It would be a shame to lose them to rotting. I might be tempted to part-dry them with the aid of a fan or hairdryer on a cool, low setting. Great idea about turmeric root, too. Itching for the flowers to spring forward into bloom now.
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How well do these dyes do in the wash @Fire. I've seen some lightweight plain cotton lawn I'd like to use for simple summer cover ups to wear with summer frocks but the colours are either muddy or garish. I was wondering about dyeing the off white.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I've been making another bag. The style is a Longchamps model which starts at €450 in the shops..... Mine is made from fabric scraps using a patchwork technique similar to Siddi which just means folded rather than raw edges. This is then supported on a base called Décovil. The flap and handles are leather and I added the outside zipped pocket.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That is the question. I haven't progressed very far on testing out different mordanting systems. There is substantial processing of cloth to do before you can dye it. But it's very worth a go.
Do make sure to ventilate the space or do it outside. Also the kitchen can get smelly. If you do it, be sure to pick out one pot for dyeing and don't use it for anything else, if using mineral salts.
There are lots of good websites out there now that can tell you detail on various mordants. Some people favour using soya milk but I have tried only salts so far, like aluminum triformate. I might do more experimenting this year. I don't know how effective soya milk is for making colour fast.
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I've been making another bag. The style is a Longchamps model which starts at €450 in the shops..... Mine is made from fabric scraps using a patchwork technique similar to Siddi which just means folded rather than raw edges. This is then supported on a base called Décovil. The flap and handles are leather and I added the outside zipped pocket.
That is the question. I haven't progressed very far on testing out different mordanting systems. There is substantial processing of cloth to do before you can dye it. But it's very worth a go.
Do make sure to ventilate the space or do it outside. Also the kitchen can get smelly. If you do it, be sure to pick out one pot for dyeing and don't use it for anything else, if using mineral salts.
There are lots of good websites out there now that can tell you detail on various mordants. Some people favour using soya milk but I have tried only salts so far, like aluminum triformate. I might do more experimenting this year. I don't know how effective soya milk is for making colour fast.
https://botanicalcolors.com/how-to-mordant/