Cochineal Dye

Cochineal Dye Eco-Print with iron blanket

Silks and linen

Dyeing silk fabric, silk scarves, and up-cycled natural fabric blouses with cochineal dye bath.

Risking an outdoor print. Sometimes the wind comes up and blows away my composition of leaves, leading to a less-than-relaxing experience.

Layers of silk, leaves, iron blanket, leaves, then silk again; ready to roll onto copper pipe.

Bundled with paper

After steaming, the silk, iron blanket, and paper

Wet silk: background is cochineal only, foreground is eco-printed over cochineal dye. The iron and the natural dye colors present in the leaves have dulled the color.

After drying and ironing. Each leaf has its own natural dye. Some don't print at all on undyed silk, but every single leaf had some effect on the cochineal, dispersing or tinting the fuschia.

Alianthis Altissima (Stinking Sumac, or Tree of Heaven)

Either Birch or Elm variety. Found these leaves on the ground in the park.

Oak, Maple, and Purple Sand Cherry

Grapevine Leaf

Worth doing again? I think so.

Appreciate

Credits:

All photos by Kelley Adams at SlowYarn.com.

Cochineal Dye Eco-Print with iron blanket

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