Me and Phil are currently on holiday in Copenhagen:) Before we left, I managed to make some progress on my #naturallydyedwardrobe.
The Bee Balm and Woad seeds that I ordered from Etsy arrived, and I’ve planted those along with the seeds I bought from a local garden centre (Bidens, Marigold, Yarrow, Teasel). They’re all planted in pots and placed inside my growhouse for protection. The weather is just starting to warm up here in the UK, so hopefully I should see some growth soon, and the beginnings of a dye plant garden.
I’ve bought a selection of yarns that I’m planning to dye in addition to dyeing fabric for dressmaking. I’m interested in seeing the different colours I achieve with cellulose (plant-based) and protein (animal-based) fibes. Phil bought be a (children’s) loom for Christmas and I’m excited to dye my own yarn and create a weaving that reflects the colours from my dye garden.
I’ve also ordered some Indigo extract from this Etsy shop in India. Indigo isn’t one of the plants I am attempting to grow and it’s going to be some time before my woad is ready (!) so I thought it would be fun to try an extract. The shop also stocks a range of natural fabrics described as perfect for dyeing, so I’ve ordered a couple of metres of fabric to dye.
Elsewhere
The latest episode of the Woolful podcast (which is always excellent) has a great interview with natural dyer Kristine Vejar.
Did you spot Portia’s brilliant tutorial for turmeric dyed ombre yarn?
There have been lots of good posts about naturally dyeing eggs for Easter. Here’s a good example from a few years ago.
I’m so impressed by this Solar Dyed Kimono by This is Moonlight; the One Year One Outfit challenge is also really inspiring.
