So I’ve given another try at dying with Vegetables/flowers
I am determined to be dyeing like a pro by the end of tis project!!
First of all, I made some initial sketches of my onion because they have SUCH a beautiful structure it hard to ignore the opportunity of documenting its beauty with some rich water colours.Taking advantage of opportunities when they arise is practicing ‘The art of Slow’ which of course is what I am here for! My brain wanted nothing more than to rush rush rush and see what kind of outcomes the onion dye bath had to offer ..this is a hard urge for me to ignore personally and sitting down to sketch rather than get stuck in was a challenge…but it paid off!
Anyway! Getting down to the process…
-I peeled the skin off my onions ( only the skin..I didn’t dice the whole thing up !)
- Boiled the kettle , and mixed the water with the skins in a medium saucepan.
-Bought the mixture to a boil, then left to simmer for an hour (again practicing the art of sllllllllllooooowwwww)
- I prepped the materials by soaking them in warm water.
-I separated the skins from the liquid with a colander, and added the material I wish to dye..I’m now currently waiting for half an hour to pass then I will drain the dye bath and reflect upon the results.
I write all this with hope that this process will actually work ..I’m really hoping that the colours are not too weak and the process is more successful than the previous. I read in my Wild Colours book that leaving the fabric to cool accentuates the colour ..so again looks as though good things come to those who wait !
I can’t pretend that waiting patiently is my favourite practice… but I am remaining optimistic that patience is key to this process, and the more I practice it the more it will become second nature.
