The FFG Natural Dye Day held on October 19th was very successful. Louisa graciously served as our dye coordinator and was busy from setup to takedown, setting up pots and monitoring their temperature. Cyndi, our host, with her husband, made sure that there was a separate circuit for each electric burner and plenty of water. Meredith managed communications and brought beverages. Inani shared her knowledge of Shibori and brought samples to inspire. Carol made sure that everyone had lovely samples of wool yarn, fabric, and roving to take home, as well as a silk scarf to dye. Others brought tables, pots, and other equipment for all to use. Many thanks to everyone. We have such a generous community!
The day started with learning about mordants and actually measuring out the chemicals. The first dye pot had wolf moss, or more correctly wolf lichen, which produced a lovely bright yellow. The pot with red onion skins produced a yellow-orange. The fresh rosemary produced a pale yellow with 10% alum. When modified logwood was added the wool turned a lovely blue-gray. When ferrous sulfate was added, the color darkened. The logwood produced lilac with a quick dip and a deeper purple with more time in the pot.
Louisa and Carol shared their process for surface dyeing the wonderful shirts they wore. We were inthralled with how the various leaves and plants left their imprint on silk scarves, as well. Maybe they would consider teaching a workshop for the guild in the future!
Inani spoke about the various techniques used in Shibori, a more sophisticated tie-dye process. Participants folded, twisted, and clamped silk scarves, then dropped them in the various dye pots. By the end of the day everyone had a unique creation to take home.