The flowers of the Golden Marguerite (a.k.a. Dyer's Chamomile) were put in water & simmered for 1 hour. The drumcarded batts of Br. Milk Sheep I soaked for 1 hour & mordanted in alum, cream of tartar & water for 45 minutes. This is the result:
I also dyed some scoured fleece with the leaves & stems of the plant. The result was the same; I could tell no difference in colour.
I have some other dye plants in the dyer's garden:
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| Yellow Bedstraw |
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| Madder |
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| Alkanet |
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| Coreopsis, Early Sunrise |
I let the woad from last year remain in the ground for the winter in order to gather some seeds for next year. When the plant went to seed it did not at all resemble itself from the first year. So many seeds were produced (which was very alarming) that all but a couple of plants we destroyed. When the seeds turned black & dry the stalks were cut down & laid out to finish drying in the barn.
I have planted a few of this year's seeds to see if I can get anything this year for dyeing. It might be too late in the season though.
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| Woad seeds |
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