Ecodyeing

We pre-washed the 100% silk scarves in Dawn simple clean and then rinsed out the soap.  The scarves were placed in a stainless steel pot and brought to a boil.  The heat was turned back to simmer the water.  The dry weight of the scarves was 0.7 oz.  0.1 oz of Alum and a pinch of cream of Tatar was dissolved in warm water and added to the pot.   The scarves simmered for one hour.  

Our natural dye products include rose petals, eucalyptus leaves and leaves from yellow flowering weed located beneath my parents deck.  The eucalyptus leaves were placed in water prior to starting.

Rose petals, and weed leaves were scattered across the silk scarf.  The eucalyptus leaves were dipped in vinegar and then placed on the scarf.  Matter root was sprinkled on the scarves for added color.  The scarf was folded in half and wrapped around a block of wood.   One purple scarf was overdyed because we had an uneven number of white ones.  Rubber bands were placed around the scarves to keep them secure and to identify the creator. 

Three of the scarves were placed in a steam basket and three were placed in the bottom of the pot.  A moisture of water 3/4 cup of vinegar and more eucalyptus leaves was brought to a boil and then reduced to a simmer.   The scarves simmered or steamed for 2 hours.  

The projects were taken off the heat and allowed to cool, the plants were removed and the scarves were rinsed in water.  

The photos above are the results of the Ecodyeing.  The rose petals did not seem to add color.   The Orange is the Matter root.  The green is the eucalyptus and the yellow is the mystery weed.  The scarves that were in the dye bath had a lot more color than the steamed ones.   The rubber bands created some resist and added a shibori like quality to the project.