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I've been experimenting with eco-dye techniques a la India Flint .
in the studio of a woman who makes puppets and other fantastical costumes.
We used milk to premordant cotton Union Suits with milk and let them dry
then used leaves, kitchen discards and green waste from a local florist shop to let them work their colorful magic.
P.S. Did I mention India is coming to Cleveland this Fall? See my post here.
* DISCLAIMER: For those of you who might bristle that we used pots on a stove in-doors, please note that the stove is located in a area away from the studio in an empty (non-inhabited) small room attached to the studio. the window was open and the space is not heated i.e.it was cold.
It is not a good practice to do this in a home where people live and who might breathe in any potential nasty vapors from simmering plant material.
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we're cooking indoors at Beautiful Silks too, but have taken care to exclude toxic plants from the selection.
ReplyDeletealso, there are no babies or small people present or [so far] anyone with sensitive lungs. thank goodness.
excellent. We are cautious and need to learn more about which plant materials are toxic when heated. We look forward to learning more from you this fall!
Deletewhat's in milk that allows it to act as a mordant?
ReplyDeleteProtein.
Deletefantastic
ReplyDeleteI too experiment - primarily with eucalyptus
India's Eco-Colour is like a bible
checking out her Cleveland visit...
xox - eb.
Hope to see you in Cleveland. Let me know whether you'd like to reserve a space.
Deletei like that you're doing this...you need to keep the fires burning, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We need to stoke our fires and nurture our desire to make art!
DeleteLovely deep colours there! I wish I had a space to experiment this...!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing :)
Erin, you can do this on a much smaller scale. I use a very small electric pot on my porch with small bits of fabric that are only 2 to 3 inches wide and a few feet long. It can be done, I encourage you to experiment...or come to Cleveland this fall. :)
DeleteVery beautiful. Thank you very much Christine, but how can we preserve the colours, after getting dirty and handwashing them??
ReplyDeleteIf you're familiar with artist, India Flint, she wears her eco-dyed clothing and washes it over and over again. Just like any dye be it commercial or not, the colors will eventually fade over time. The thrill is that you will be able to dye the clothes once again.
DeleteI recommend India's book, Eco-colour for more detailed information.
Thank you for commenting!
I bought both books some months ago and will try these techniques at a show in May in Karlsruhe, Germany. I can only recommend India's books, beautiful and full of details and recipes!
ReplyDeleteJudy
Sounds like a pleasant situation. Germany and Eco-dyeing a la India Flint. Enjoy!
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