Inspired by the results of the dye workshop with Rebecca Burgess, the kindergarten teachers enlisted me to work with their classes on their annual tie-dye project, this time without using synthetic dyes. We assigned each class a different local plant that would be used for their color. Hickory class went to the kitchen and asked the cooks to save them onion skins, which we boiled up to make a rich gold. Sequoia class gathered marigolds from campus, which produced a pale greenish yellow, and Holly class gathered oak galls to mix with rusty water and make dark gray.
Before dye day I washed all of the shirts with washing soda and soaked them in alum mordant. (I used directions for how to do this from The Craft of Natural Dyeing by Jenny Dean.) While we had our dye pots bubbling away I threw in some cotton/linen fabric and some wool yarn so we could observe the difference. We later used these samples to embroider little samplers showing how all of the colors came out.
Of our results, the marigolds came out paler than expected and the rubber band resist was difficult to see. To create a vibrant design on these shirts we decided to potato-print marigoldish designs on the shirt surface.
The kids loved their results, and the teachers were happy to find alternative methods for a project they hope to do for years to come, teaching students about color science as well as sustainability.
Note: for best results, please see updated directions for preparing cellulose fibers. :)
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