Natural Dye Experiments

Last Saturday, I taught another Extraordinary Embroidery (intro) class at 3rd Ward. As usual, I had a great group of students, including 3 women visiting from France, and a book artist, Rebecca Kelly, who brought in some fabrics dyed with natural dyes (walnut, berries). Her work and passion for dyeing inspired me to try it myself. 

As I write this, an antique swatch with a lace border is simmering in a bed of mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) with some rice vinegar as mordant.

Pictured below is fabric dyed with purple onion skin and rice vinegar mordant. Also pictured is the first embroidered tweet made from the onion skin-dyed fabric.

Purple onion skin-dyed fabric

"My heart is a tuning fork, and it's calling you in, my one true love."