My journey to eco-dyeing
People ask me how I started on my journey of learning about and making botanical products. Honestly, there was not one thing in particular; I've always enjoyed the creative process. My career in writing adult training curriculum offered me the opportunity to learn a variety of technologies, from network operating systems to personal computer applications. The courses I enjoyed learning and writing about the most were graphical interface applications, like Photoshop. Being a visual learner, Adobe products were right up my alley, as they are all about creating and editing visuals.
Once I retired, I replaced the computer with tactile projects. I tried my hand at making glass beads, water color painting, alcohol ink, paint pouring and decoupage. With the exception of decoupage, most crafts I tried fizzled out quickly. But with decoupage I could combine various types of papers with dried flowers, I've always been an advid gardener, so growing and drying flowers was a natural fit for me. I wanted to do more with flowers and leaves, and in searching for ideas, I came across an on-line course in eco-dyeing, taught by Irit Dulman from Tel Aviv. Until that course, I had no idea the colors that can be produced using plant-based materials. I was hooked! For the past three years I've soaked up as much knowledge as I can, and continue to do so. I've learned the Dirty Pot method from Nicola Brown in Northern Ireland. I found both the Maiwa School of Textiles In Vancouver, and the professionals at Botanical Colors in Seattle, WA to continually find instructions and ideas. I purchase all my plant extracts from Botanical Colors.
Eco-dyeing is an art and a process used all over the world that is gaining in popularity in the USA and Canada. It is a movement away from harsh industrial chemicals used for dyeing, in favor of using what nature provides: flowers, bark, leaves, etc.
Using the earth's resources for dyeing is not an exact science. It can produce recognizable floral images, or result in a more abstract appearance. Colors often blend with one another or can be modifed.
My latest venture is Indigo dyeing. Although I failed Chemistry in school, the delictate pH balance needed to create an Indigo vat is more than making up for it!
