In this photo you see some beautiful eucalyptus leaves (Eucalyptus globulus) which were gathered from the ground near my dye studio. These are the first plant materials I have gathered for extracting dyes.
I have experimented with fabric dyes for about 15 years, in between busy times as a musician (music website here.) My fiber and fabric work so far includes dyeing, painting, hand printing, digital printing, tie-resist (shibori), clamp-resist (itajime), felting and sewing. Mostly I have learned by reading and experimenting. Some things work well, but sometimes the “mistakes” lead me in interesting directions!
The most recent development is that I have dived into the fascinating world of making dyes from plants and minerals. Up until now I have been using Procion MX dyes and acid dyes. Now I am inspired to learn about plant and mineral dyes by the work of dyers like Rebecca Burgess, India Flint, Kimberly Baxter Packwood and others. I took a two-part class with Rebecca at the Regenerative Design Institute in Bolinas, CA. The day after the first class on October 9th, I gathered some eucalyptus leaves for the dyepot. I also began to save food waste in the kitchen from plants which are supposed to be good for dyes and tannins: avocado pits and peels, onion skins, used coffee grounds, banana peels, pomegranate rinds, half-squeezed lemons and limes.
Soon I will be posting a gallery of pieces dyed with plants, as well as a gallery of pieces for sale. Thank you for visiting and enjoy!
