Fabric, sticks and bundles.
The weather here has been really good this week so I thought that I would use the opportunity to investigate some different ways of colouring cloth. I gathered together a selection of natural fabrics, silk and cotton mainly, I then went and collected some sticks, dead leaves, fresh leaves and flowerheads. Half of the surface of the cloth was covered with the leaves and then I folded the rest of the fabric over them.
I love wrappings and bundles so these really appeal.
After I had folded the fabric over the leaves I rolled it around a stick and wrapped it tightly with strong thread, I'm wondering if I will also get a resist pattern from the thread. As it is quite early in the year I don't know whether I will get any colour at all, we will have to see but I really love the surprise of this sort of dyeing. If it doesn't work I will just redye it another time, no problem.
The cloth bundles in the water.
Finally I poured boiling water over them and will leave them to stew away, by stew away I don't mean that you boil them, just leave them in the water for a time. I will probably leave them for a few days before I have to have a peep, hopefully they will have released their dye, the hot water should have helped this process. I'm also wondering if colour will be released from the sticks, we will see.
Lovely, wet, wrapped bundles, they look good enough to eat!
I'm enjoying the way that that the water has made the cloth translucent and you can see the leaves inside, the magic begins-well fingers crossed.
Every production of an artist should be the expression
of an adventure from their soul.
W.Somerset Maugham.
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