Tag: cream dye

11 Nov

Silk dyed with Comfrey leaves

Amelia Hoskins / Dye Bath Processes, Plant Dye / 11. November 2020 / 0 Comments

Comfrey Dye Bath Preparation

Comfrey leaves soaking

Comfrey leaves soaked

Comfrey leaves removed

Silk soaking

Silk first soak

Second soak with iron

Iron added to section

Shibori tied silk rinsing

Silk folds beige grey

Silk different golds

Silk dyed dried in sunshine

Shibori diagonal resist lines

Comfrey leaves boiled

Silk soaked up dye

3rd silk piece in iron mix

Shibori stitching for resist of dye penetration.

Double rows gathered - lines, wavy lines, circles. Can be prepared while leaves simmering

Dye Bath Process

Soak comfrey leaves for 24 hrs - simmer for an hour, watching water level.
During simmering there is time to do some shibori on the silk: double stitched rows, pulled, gathered tight, as rings, or lines. [link]
Remove from pan, squeezing excess dye liquid from leaves, or press through colander.
Soak pre-wetted silk in hand hot (never boiling hot). Stir for first 5 mins.
When colour did not darken anymore, after a few hours, I lifted the silk out, added some rust water (or ferrous sulphate) to dye bath as a modifier, then lowered half the silk piece in, to achieve a partly dyed piece.
The difference in tone when dry was much less than when wet, so its best to always allow dye to go darker than wanted, as it will always rinse out lighter.