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Tag Archives: dye

Eco dyes with Penny and Diane

African Threads Posted on September 30, 2018 by Val HearderSeptember 30, 2018

Visiting Annapolis Royal is always a treat, especially to visit Penny and Diane. I’d asked if I could come to one of their regular dye days to learn more about my new fascination with the alchemy of the dye pot. … Continue reading →

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Posted in ecodyes, Fabric, natural dyes, Uncategorised | Tagged blakc walnut, Dorr wool, dye, eco, leaves, linen, mordant, polypore, rust, sumac, thai silk | 1 Reply

Natural dyes from fungus

African Threads Posted on September 17, 2018 by Val HearderSeptember 17, 2018
dye colours from fungus

Dyer’s polypore fungus

I’d been thinking about using plants from my environment to dye fabrics. Literally a few days later, this large dyer’s polypore was there, steps from my door, a gift from the woods. It was a sign!  As a mushroom gatherer, I’m fascinated by theses intense little plants that I find scattered in the woods. I’d read that one could get a range of colours from them I’m resolved to learn more. My first excursion into natural dyes was with turmeric root.Dyer's polypore mushroom

Dyer’s polypore is a shelf fungus that feels velvety to the touch. It’s often found growing on a root near the base of evergreens. This one’s a beauty. It was a bit of pity to cut it, but it will be transmuted to make more beauty, so it seems a fair exchange. Depending on the mordant added, it can yield from creamy yellow through olive and khaki.

Dyers polypore fungus for natural colour

After slicing it up and simmering it in water for several hours, I left it to soak for several days.  I washed Dorr wool, silk and some beige linen that had been soaked in a solution of alum as a mordant to hold the colour. I set the simmered the dye pot on the stove, along with the fabrics for a couple of hours.  A range of really lovely soft buttery yellows emerged. It tuns out dyer’s polypore is a good mordant in itself. So once the dye was spent, I stewed up the remains with some sumac leaves to make a pot of mordant for more linen wool and silk. Here are some of the lovely yellows from this gift of the woods.

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Posted in ecodyes, Nature | Tagged colour, Dorr wool, dye, dyepot, eco dye, fungus, linen, natural | 10 Replies

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