Capsella bursa-pastoris
Description: This weed is very abundant near our home, growing along the edges of the tilled fields and in unmowed areas around our property. The stem of the plant rises from a rosette that somewhat resembles dandelion leaves, and the upper third or half of the stem bears the little heart-shaped "purse" seed pods. The flowers are white and grow in clusters at the top of the main stem and often from several other side stems.
Results: Pictured from left to right are wool with no mordant, wool with Alum mordant, wool with Iron mordant, cotton with Alum mordant, and cotton with Iron mordant. For color reference, the background is a white Bounty paper towel.
Plant prep: I collected my Shepherd's Purse in mid-June, the plants about 2 feet tall at the time and the seed pods VERY abundant. I wasn't able to use them right away so they actually sat in my garage for nearly a week while I was out of town. I used every part of the plant that grows above the ground, cutting it into lengths that would easily fit in the dye pot.
Dye process: The Basic Recipe
Notes: This particular dye success was very exciting to me. To be able to get such a nuisance weed to yield these kinds of color was something akin to magic. I can definitely see making more of this dye, especially using wool with an alum mordant.
No comments:
Post a Comment