Natural dyes?

[wilderlore]

My Mrs is starting a degree in textiles and is looking at natural dyes to create more sustainable garments, she has been looking at the likes of beetroot ect in the supermarkets. I was wondering if anyone on here knows of any natural dyes that can be found in our countryside? I think i remember reading somewhere that bramble roots can be used some how but other than that i'm unsure.

Ste

 

[Elen Sentier]

You can use almost anything, but ask Magpiewolf and I s'pect Toddy knows a lot too. I like some of the colours you get from buddleia flowers and seeds, and onion skins for a lovely delicate gold-brown. IME (not massive!) it's the mordants that are the problem, many of the best that bring up the brightest colours are heavy metals.

 

[Arjati]

Hi, we did a session on natural dyes in Forest School last year, so can point you in the direction of the links I found useful:

http://www.wildcolours.co.uk/index.html

http://microsites.merton.gov.uk/riverandcloth/

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/crafts/crafts-basics/naturaldyes.html

http://livingfield.scri.ac.uk/science/5000years/plants/dyes

On the day we sent the children off round the site to collect what ever took their fancy. The best results came from Alder catkins which gave a glorious dark orange colour and from the rose-hips which gave a pale pink. Most of the other collections gave a lovely shade of khaki

Richard