Hi Connie, yes I have seen other people combining synthetic dyes with eco-printing but because I haven’t tried it myself I can’t give you any specific advice.
dear louise, i am so thrilled to be here soaking in all your beauty. forgive me if you have answered this else where…. i live in the high mountains of arizona where snow, wind and rain have kept me from experimenting. a friend gifted me beautiful eucalyptus leaves and they are sadly drying out as i wait out the winter weather. is it possible to use dry leaves? is there a way to revive them or keep them from drying out? any advice on the use of eucalyptus leaves- which for me will most likely never be fresh would be so very helpful! thanks in advance for your insights. warmly, rebecca
Hi Rebecca, thanks for your lovely comment. Yes, you can use dry leaves – before you use them, simply soak them in warm water until they soften. You can also soak eucalyptus leaves in water for a few weeks to keep them fresh – this is the method I teach for eco-printing on cotton with an iron mordant rather than with the soy milk binder (as explained in my ebook Gum Leaf Alchemy). If you want to use eucalyptus leaves that have been soaked in water for a long time, then you will need to use the iron mordant on either the leaves or fabric, even when using the soy milk binder, as some of the tannins will have leached out. Other leaves can also be stored dry and rehydrated as needed – the results will be variable, but it is worth a go.
thank you so much for sharing this information- so helpful! cannot wait to start and plan on dyeing outside with a natural wood fire-once the weather is agreeable. i see Gum Leaf Alchemy in my future!
Thanks for a fun course. I have friend who loves the yellow of marigolds. I have made her a silk scarf with marigolds and alum mordant. Would cotton take the yellow with just the soy milk binder?
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Could you use a dye other than natural to make a dye blanket?
Hi Connie, yes I have seen other people combining synthetic dyes with eco-printing but because I haven’t tried it myself I can’t give you any specific advice.
dear louise,
i am so thrilled to be here soaking in all your beauty. forgive me if you have answered this else where….
i live in the high mountains of arizona where snow, wind and rain have kept me from experimenting. a friend gifted me beautiful eucalyptus leaves and they are sadly drying out as i wait out the winter weather. is it possible to use dry leaves? is there a way to revive them or keep them from drying out? any advice on the use of eucalyptus leaves- which for me will most likely never be fresh would be so very helpful! thanks in advance for your insights. warmly, rebecca
Hi Rebecca, thanks for your lovely comment. Yes, you can use dry leaves – before you use them, simply soak them in warm water until they soften. You can also soak eucalyptus leaves in water for a few weeks to keep them fresh – this is the method I teach for eco-printing on cotton with an iron mordant rather than with the soy milk binder (as explained in my ebook Gum Leaf Alchemy). If you want to use eucalyptus leaves that have been soaked in water for a long time, then you will need to use the iron mordant on either the leaves or fabric, even when using the soy milk binder, as some of the tannins will have leached out. Other leaves can also be stored dry and rehydrated as needed – the results will be variable, but it is worth a go.
thank you so much for sharing this information- so helpful! cannot wait to start and plan on dyeing outside with a natural wood fire-once the weather is agreeable. i see Gum Leaf Alchemy in my future!
Thanks for a fun course. I have friend who loves the yellow of marigolds. I have made her a silk scarf with marigolds and alum mordant. Would cotton take the yellow with just the soy milk binder?
Yes it will, but I imagine you’ll get a different shade without the alum, which is a brightening and yellowing mordant. Give it a try!