Sunday, July 19, 2009

cauldrons on the boil again

A few of us that gathered to stitch and dye Landskins had another dye day. A collection of pots were happily bubbling away, while we inspected what everybody had accomplished since.















I had overdyed my Landskin with gum bark, and got some nice leaf prints on it. I was not entirely happy with the overall shade, so decided to keep dyeing.



















Looking very animal skin like in backlight.
















I wrapped it around a rotten flax flower stalk with purple akeake (Dodonaea viscosa purpurea)leaves from two plants grown in different locations. In the pot some rainwater, more purple akeake and another small and rather rusty iron pot.

Since the workshop I've worked on two other pieces that I dyed in Liquorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare). I quite fancied using this plant, because I had masses of it that needed pruning, and after a little research I found out it is used as a medicinal plant in South Africa. I thought my heart could use a little healing...















The resulting colour was rather vague, apart from some dark iron marks. Here another detail, with human hair trapped in the stitching.















I meant to dye this again, but decided to make a few more samples before plunging in.















This nuno sample was in the same dyepot, but the leaves in the bundle gave some deliciously delicate pinks and apricots, that I am happy to keep. The piece was fulled after dyeing.

Now I'm just trying to ignore the Landskin bundle for another week before unwrapping...