An ancient dye plant with true yellow staying power – welcome to Weld! Weld – Dyer’s Rocket (Reseda luteola) – Click for seeds! Weld, also known as Dyer’s Rocket or Dyer’s Weed (officially Reseda luteola) is a member of the brassica family and grows as a rosette of green leaves with a spike-like shoot of smallContinue reading “Growing Weld”
Tag Archives: natural dyeing
Growing Dyer’s Chamomile
A beautiful garden plant with bright yellow, fragrant, pollinator attracting flowers. Read on for some growing tips! Dyer’s Chamomile (Cota tinctoria) – Click for seeds! Dyer’s Chamomile, also known as Golden Marguerite (officially Cota tinctoria or Anthemis tinctoria) is a bushy daisy-like plant with feathery leaves growing 1 to 2 feet high and developing large numbers of fragrant,Continue reading “Growing Dyer’s Chamomile”
Pinks from Second Year Woad
Hello fellow plant dye enthusiasts! I’m here today to tell you about a use for your 2nd year woad leaves (other than waiting for seeds, chicken feed, or compost additive)! As we know, woad (Isatis tinctoria) is a rather plain looking plant from Europe that has a long history as a source for blue dye.Continue reading “Pinks from Second Year Woad”
Growing Dyer’s Coreopsis
A lovely North American native prairie plant, a bee magnet, and a strong orange in the dye pot – what’s not to love?! Dyer’s Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A cheerful North American native, this annual plant is easy to grow and will produce hundreds of beautiful little flowers in tufts 2Continue reading “Growing Dyer’s Coreopsis”
Growing Japanese Indigo
Here is a quick little growing guide for this great plant! Japanese Indigo (Persicaria tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A member of the knotweed family, this easy to grow annual plant has long been a part of Japanese culture and is used to produce a beautiful blue dye. This dye is present in the leaves,Continue reading “Growing Japanese Indigo”
Growing Hopi Red Dye Amaranth
Hopi Red Dye Amaranth – buy seeds here! A gorgeous annual 4 to 6 feet tall with long, draping flower heads, this amaranth is a stunner in the garden and has so many uses! Find organically grown seeds here! How to grow: Site Selection: Annual, support of mature plants may be necessary. Plant in wellContinue reading “Growing Hopi Red Dye Amaranth”
Growing Madder
Madder (Rubia tinctorum) – buy seeds here! Native to the Mediterranean and a member of the coffee family, madder is a hardy perennial grown for its red dye. The roots of this plant have been used for centuries to make a bright, lightfast dye on both protein and cellulose fibers. Second and third year rootsContinue reading “Growing Madder”
Growing Woad
A quick post for those of you interested in growing a plant to produce blue dye! Woad (isatis tinctoria) – Click for seeds! A member of the mustard family, woad has been used since ancient times to produce a beautiful blue dye. It is an easy to grow hardy biennial, but is classified as anContinue reading “Growing Woad”
Natural Dye: Berry Pinks
Ok, I know I’m a little late for Valentine’s Day, but I just stumbled into the most glorious pink dye (or perhaps stain – more on that later) using some past-their-prime berries. Below is the long version – scroll down for the quick and dirty! Or find a recipe for natural yellow dye HERE. Continue reading “Natural Dye: Berry Pinks”
Dye Project #1: Red Onion Skins on Wool
After my recent natural dye apostrophe epiphany as described in this post, I couldn’t wait to get started. Specialized equipment? Nah. Mordants? What are those? I have some cream colored yarn that will surely take up some dye. LET’S GET GOING! Ahem. Friend google helped me find the perfect first project. A food-safe, kitchen worthy,Continue reading “Dye Project #1: Red Onion Skins on Wool”