Bundling and Cooking Options for Eco Prints

There are many options for cooking one's bundles; the final results are related to the method of cooking chosen.  I have three exhibits below, but I have also experimented with solar dyeing and cooking bundles in a crock pot (seemed to leave too much water, but I may try again.)

My first try at pressure cooking yesterday.  I went into the back shed and excavated my old pressure cooker.  I had my doubts about whether it had survived, but after smashing down the little pressure valve, it chugged right along for an hour.

I will open these in a couple of weeks.  When I peeked in the cooker, I could see that the whole scarf had turned color.  The lace wrapped silk scarf is a redye and is bundled with Euca polyanthemos and Hibiscus flowers...trying to keep it simple.

The second silk scarf was simply premordanted in alum and wrapped in Euca polyanthemos and Hibiscus.  That's a sea sponge dipped in alkanet powder piggybacking on the outside of the bundle.  Experiment on.

Pressure Cooked 1 Hour

I had an alkanet bath which had dyed several skeins of yarn a luscious berry purple.  I boiled these 2 scarves in the leftovers.  One scarf is bundled with soaked fall maple leaves and ornamental purple plum leaves, all wrapped on a peeled cherry stem.

The 2nd scarf is wrapped with "ghost" eucalyptus leaves (they don't transfer much color, just a shape in dark  neutral tones) and Euca cinerea.

Boiled 1 Hour in Alkanet Dye Bath

Steaming is best when you want some background to remain white, for delicate flowers and leaves.  The top scarf was wrapped with blackberry, flowers, and leaves.  The dark blackberry stain is obvious on the left.

Much of the white background is left on the 2nd scarf, and the leaves and flowers are showing through.  I will be leaving these a week or two more.

Steamed 1 Hour

Flower Smashing on Silk

March 9--Flower Smashing  Mordanted (alum) silk scarf,

plastic on sturdy porch bench, old towel, silk scarf, flowers,

second plastic bag, wooden mallet

Flowers used: Viola, violet, grape hyacinth, violet leaves,

kale leaves.

Results: Violas worked nicely, leaves were hard to get an

impression from, kale didn't really work for me, violets

were to small, hyacinth seem to be good now, but some of

the debris needs to dry and come off

Crepe de Chine may be the best type of silk for this

process, and the Habotai was rather flimsy.

This could be resmasheed, I think, maybe spraying with vinegar first to see what that does.

Pits and Peels: Adventure in Avocado Dyeing

I love the idea of dyeing with avocadoes.  It's one more useful step before they hit the compost pile.  I saved up avocadoes for a week or 2, washed carefully and frozen, for dyeing. I had about a cup of each, pits and peels, and much wonderful guacamole. February 27--mordanted silk scarves 8 oz. in .1 oz alum .03

oz. tartar 8 pints water trying to keep at 180 F for an hour

Put pits and skins of avocados (about 3 cups each) in 2x

Amount of water, bringing to simmer, repeat every 2 days

for 9 days

February 29--binging avocado dye pots to simmer this AM

pits dye looks pink purple already

Just brought it to a boil, which one is not supposed to do,

now it looks greyish.  I hope it's not ruined.  More Guac.

Peel dye pot brought to 180 degrees, used thermometer

like a smart girl, looks OK

March 2--brought both pits and peels to simmer

March 5--brought dye pots to simmer, put in wet silk,

simer one hour.  Pits take on lighter color, peels seem

deeper rose. Let cool in dye bath, rinse, dry, then

mordant a couple for flower smashing

tied a couple of loose knots on 2 scarves

Lightened as they dried

March 6--dyeing bamboo rayon alum-mordanted scarf in leftover avocado peel dye pot, brought to simmer wet scarf immersed, simmer 1 hour, then cool, rinse Noticed faint tie-dye lines in Peels scarf when ironed Bamboo scarf noticably lighter, whether due to material or spent dye, I know not.  A light peach color which will be good for something

March 6--dyeing bamboo rayon alum-mordanted scarf

in leftover avocado peel dye pot, brought to simmer

wet scarf immersed, simmer 1 hour, then cool, rinse

Noticed faint tie-dye lines in Peels scarf when ironed

Bamboo scarf noticably lighter, whether due to material or

spent dye, I know not.  A light peach color which will be

good for something

AVOCADO PRESERVED LEMON GUACAMOLE RECIPE

Mash 2 ripe Haas avocadoes with 1/4 cup chopped red onion (save the peels for more dyeing), 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 ripe tomato, chopped, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, 1 diced fresh Serrano chile (or to taste), 1/4 Preserved Lemon, rinsed and diced, plus 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice from the preserving liquid.