Weld
by Elaine on Aug.13, 2010, under Blog Posts
I am just in the process of cutting back the weld plants in my natural dye garden. I have saved some of the seed for next year. But from the reading I have done, I understand that the seeds can get away from you and that you can have quite an invasive plant on your hands. My natural dye garden is very small…contained within a 4′ by 8′ raised bed with screens around the outside to prevent the deer from nibbling. I stripped alot of the plants of their leaves, then have the leaves cooking in a vat of water. I still have enough plants with leaves for another batch later in the season. And I also used these plant leaves earlier in July for my natural dye dya class…so just a few plants give lots of dye. It is a very clear yellow which sometimes I add some iron towards the end of the dyeing to yield greens. I have been making skeins, then scouring and mordanting paternayan persian wool, silk noils, fine silk boucles, and fine 140/2 silks all for tapestry weaving. Last week I dyed with Tansy which I found along the road side where I live. Again it yielded yellows, but different from the weld. I will post photos soon.
November 2nd, 2010 on 7:00 pm
Hi Elaine,
I have just taken some time to go through your blogs and photos. What a great place to be inspired. I look forward to seeing the photos from your Tansy dyeing. Thanks for all that you do.
Diane
June 5th, 2011 on 4:22 am
I am trying to get Weld seeds to germinate. NO luck with two pkgs.
Do you know of a web site that sells the plants. We are starting a dyers demo garden.
thanks.
(Am a novice at this) When you “add iron” to a weld patch, do you throw in prefabricated power or a few rusty nails?
How may leaves (cup or weight) do you use per X yards of silk?