Natural Dyeing and Weaving

I have been interested in using plant materials for dyeing fabrics for a long time, probably about 15 years. I'm always intrigued by how very differently animal fibres and vegetable fibres take up colour. I decided to do several small weavings using both animal and vegetable fibres - I have cotton yarn of different thicknesses, untreated wool and some untreated silk fibre. 

I dyed some of these weavings in an onion skin dye bath.

 

Looking at the second one, you can see how tricky I'm finding it to keep the weave straight! Also, in the second one, I incorporated some garden twine.

I also used my circular loom, which I was given a few months ago by an OCA colleague. As well as undyed yarns I also wove with some previously madder dyed wool.

 

I love this one, it's like a sunflower! I'm inspired to do more weavings, both circular and straight, for natural dyeing. One of the Adult Education classes I'm teaching is keen to do some natural dyeing, so that works well! Yes weaving is time consuming but a very relaxing activity.

I did some small weavings with cotton and wool, in one of them including some wool and cotton that had previously been dyed with logwood and elderberries. I dyed them in a brazilwood bath.

The first was dyed in a much stronger dye bath, the colour is stronger than in the photo.

I dyed one of the small weavings in a very strong logwood and iron bath. Interestingly, there is very little difference between how the cotton and wool have taken the colour.