Inspired Textiles

My latest silk noil scarf, it was firstly scoured then mordanted with Alum and dyed with logwood.  After allowing it to cure for a week I placed the redbud leaves in an 'artistic' line down one side. I thought a change from random placing was in order. After bundling around a wooden pole I steamed it for two hours. Because I used an iron blanket the leaves created a discharge shape as the iron reacted with the tannins in the leaves removing the dye.  Very pleased with the result.

Each year during the warmer sunnier months I fill large glass jars with botanicals mordants water and a variety of textiles and threads.  These sit on the window sills of my conservatory for months until they produce the colours I want. Second batches give paler shades.  This gives me more threads than I need for my own use during the colder winter months when I do more hand sewing.  I also wrap a range to go inside my inspiration packs.  

Logwood and cochineal dyed silk noil. The range from dark to light is from the first dip to the last. The top piece is exhausted cochineal first then exhausted logwood second dip resulting in a lovely mauve. The plans for these lengths is to contact print some scarves.  More logwood and Cochineal dyed pieces  this time on silk habitat scarves and a silk lace collar that was in my late mother-in-laws fabric stash . This time I experimented with pre and post mordants of alum and iron.  Once again these will be discharged with leaves