Blog entry

Pansy dye progress

Posted by laura bellel on July 08, 2017 | 4 Comments

The results of the pansy dye experiment have been interseting and a little suprising. The purple and blue pansies gave beautiful shades of green to the silk organza.

Silk organza soaking in purple pansy brew

The silk looks a little bluer in the jar. Maybe it's the reflection of the blue and purple flowers in the water.

The silk fabric dyed with yellow and orange pansies is a greenish yellow.

Yellow and orange pansy dye

Green and yellow silks from pansy dye

I like these shades, but I'll keep experimenting.

Pansy Dye

Posted by laura bellel on July 02, 2017 | 9 Comments

Since May, I've been picking pansy flowers and saving them in the freezer. At first I kept individual colors in their own bags - purples and blues together, yellows and oranges in their own bags, etc..Lately, I've just been stuffing them all together so now I have to separate them.

A few fresh blue pansies for the brew

There are mostly purples and blues in this jar, but since I wasn't very careful. there are a few bits and pieces of pinks and yellow flowers

Yellows and oranges

June Inspiration

Posted by laura bellel on June 22, 2017 | 2 Comments

II've been dyeing silk threads in colors inspired by the velvety shades of petunias

Combinations of lac, logwood, madder and indigo

The milkweed flowers have begun to bloom. The air is filled with their heavy sweetmess. The tender, muted pinks seemed like the perfect color for some handspun wool yarn I've been saving.

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Handspun wool yarn soaked overnight in alum.

June morning

Posted by laura bellel on June 09, 2017 | 5 Comments

June morning

It's so fine to step outside barefoot,without a sweater, and get started right away. On most mornings,this means just wandering around in wonder and amazement.for awhile.

The backyard is not big, but the cherry tree doesn't seem to mind.