What a beautiful plant. Reminds me of the trees from the Lorax. What colors do you get with sumac? I've been playing with a black walnut hull dye I made last fall; without any mordant I've gotten golden browns, reddish browns, and chocolate browns on different fibers, including leather. With a little iron oxide (in this case rusty metal I found in the woods) I can make grays and a true black. I see you like bright colors, but have you ever explored black walnut hulls for dye? I live here in Rockport, and they're everywhere in the fall. What other local plants do you like to dye with?
Hi Aaron! I love that that is what they remind you of and I can totally see it!! I have been getting pinkish browns if I use alum as a mordant, but getting dusty purples with iron. I have been wanting to play with walnut, it has been on my list for a while and actually had a great haul last year, but stupidly left them outside overnight and the squirrels had an absolute field day! So I will be trying again this year. Aside from the sumac, I love using tansy and goldenrod, but have a LOT more experimenting to do both with these plants, as well as trying new plants! I love indigo as well, but I haven't grown it myself yet... Keep me posted with your dyeing adventures!!!
What a beautiful plant. Reminds me of the trees from the Lorax. What colors do you get with sumac? I've been playing with a black walnut hull dye I made last fall; without any mordant I've gotten golden browns, reddish browns, and chocolate browns on different fibers, including leather. With a little iron oxide (in this case rusty metal I found in the woods) I can make grays and a true black. I see you like bright colors, but have you ever explored black walnut hulls for dye? I live here in Rockport, and they're everywhere in the fall. What other local plants do you like to dye with?
ReplyDeleteHi Aaron!
DeleteI love that that is what they remind you of and I can totally see it!! I have been getting pinkish browns if I use alum as a mordant, but getting dusty purples with iron. I have been wanting to play with walnut, it has been on my list for a while and actually had a great haul last year, but stupidly left them outside overnight and the squirrels had an absolute field day! So I will be trying again this year.
Aside from the sumac, I love using tansy and goldenrod, but have a LOT more experimenting to do both with these plants, as well as trying new plants! I love indigo as well, but I haven't grown it myself yet...
Keep me posted with your dyeing adventures!!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete