Using Flowers to Create Botanical Based Dyes

The Charms of Botanical Dyeing

Botanical dyeing takes us back to simpler times, using the colors nature provides. It's like a plant-based paint palette that can turn ordinary tea towels into works of art. By using flowers, we can create a rainbow of shades that are both unique and eco-friendly.

Picking the Right Flowers

One of the exciting parts of botanical dyeing is selecting the flowers to work with. Different flowers yield different colors, offering a playful twist to the process.

Marigold: These sunny blooms create warm yellows and oranges, reminiscent of a golden sunrise.

Lavender: If calming pastels are your preference, lavender flowers are perfect for gentle purples and grays.

Coreopsis: With their vibrant petals, coreopsis flowers bring about shades of cheerful yellows and deep oranges.

Cosmos: Bright Lights or Sulphur cosmos as the best for dyeing, but we’ve found that we love the colors created by some of the darker cosmos. They make a lovely purple or blue color.

Dahlias: Provide a variation of shades, but the darker colors make the prettiest colors.

Indigo: For rich blues, indigo leaves hold the secret, providing a touch of deep ocean hues.

The Color Journey

Before diving into the dyeing process, the fabric needs a bit of prep. This involves cleaning and treating them to make sure they absorb the colors well. Once fabric has been prepped, you leave it damp, but not wet and add your flowers for dyeing. We use the bundle dyeing process for making our prints, which involved scattering flowers on the fabric, rolling the fabric up, then using a steam process to release the dye from the flowers.

After the fabrics have steamed for an hour, remove and open the fabric. The colors from the dye process are immediately visible. Gently remove all flowers from the fabric, then give your fabric a little rinse and hang to dry.

Botanical dyeing isn't just about changing colors; it's about connecting with nature and embracing its diversity. Each fabric created with botanical dye carries a piece of the flower farm's charm, telling a story of petals, leaves, and the colors they gift us. So, next time you use one of these tea towels, remember the journey it has taken – from the flower farm to your kitchen, with a touch of nature's magic in between.

XX Jenn and Adam