As flower farmers, we are constantly dreaming up ways to keep the flowers flowing year round. When the weather cools way off, the field is empty! We really have to get creative. Exploring the world of botanical dye has been a wonderful way to use our mid-winter time.
It also significantly decreases the waste from our farm. Marigolds that aren’t choice for market still work their magic in the dye pot! Cosmos that bloom between events can be harvest and pressed for winter eco-printing, whereas before they may be destined for the compost. The goldenrod, that really grows like a weed around here, gets cut from between the crocosmia and makes a sunshine yellow on cotton and linen.
We recently released our ~Spring Dreams~ collection.
A name that means exactly what is says! Creating these dresses, working with what we saved from our warm seasons, has us dreaming big time of what is to come in spring (especially in the way of dye plants, many of which are new to our farm).
Here is a sneak peak of our process!
First, the dresses are thoroughly cleaned through a process called scouring. Then, dresses are mordanted. Mordanting opens the fiber and give the color something to hold onto. It’s what makes the color last after washing and wearing.
After the fiber is prepared, the creative part can begin! This is where we add color. Flowers are placed on the damp fiber, it is bundled, and then steamed to release the color from the plant material.
The best part is the reveal! When the fiber is finished steaming, we unroll it to see how the prints have transferred to the fiber. The fun thing about natural dye is that you never know exactly what you’ll get. Color can be dependent on weather conditions during the plants growth, but no matter what comes out, its always beautiful. I heard another natural dyer say that plant color hits the eyes differently, and I think it is so true! A simple brown from a mushroom is totally different than a basic brown from synthetic dye…but I digress!