Learn how to naturally dye with foraged acorns. This informative blog will give you a fascinating insight into the history of oak trees and how embedded they are in our culture. You will learn how to extract colour from acorns to use as a natural dye on both animal and plant fibres. From foraging and processing to dyeing and modifying to extend the colour range.
Learn how to naturally dye with foraged yarrow. This informative blog will give you a brief history of yarrow and its uses, both culinary and medicinal, and show you how to extract it's colour for use as a natural dye on both animal and plant fibres. From foraging and processing to dyeing and modifying to extend the colour range.
Learn how to naturally dye with foraged goldenrod. This informative blog will give you a brief history of goldenrod and its uses, and show you how to extract it's colour for use as a natural dye on both animal and plant fibres. From foraging and processing to dyeing and modifying to extend the colour range.
Coreopsis tinctoria is one of over 75 species in the family Asteraceae. Originally native to the prairies of North America it is now cultivated world-wide and comes in a range of yellows and reds or, like Coreopsis tinctoria, yellow with red centres. As the word ‘tinctoria’ indicates this is a recognised dye plant and although historical reference to it is limited, it is known to have been used as a source of natural dye by the plains tribes of North America. It’s also thought to have been used by the early civilisations of Central and South America. Sometimes called ‘tickseed’, a reference to its insect-like seeds, the plant was reportedly used in bedding to ward off bedbugs.
Comfrey leaves can be foraged for dyeing throughout the summer, and I didn’t have to go far to gather a basketful. I wanted enough leaves to dye my fibres at 200% WOF (weight of fibre). So as I planned to dye 100g of fibres I needed 200g of comfrey leaves, which I then left outside for a couple of hours to give the insect life a chance to depart.
