fennel tie dye

After our first experiment with natural tie-dyeing, back in March (2011) with onion skins/peels, we really want to try again, with another plant. I wanted to try with something that'd grow abundantly here, and seasonal of course. So (wild) fennel came automatically to my mind, because it grows as wild & abundantly here as queen anne's lace in Ontario ! (ah !) You can see here that we have already dyed with fennel (foeniculum vulgare) several times, at different stages of growth, and with different parts of the plant.

This time, we used the tops, and parts of the stems. Almost all plant actually. We had mordanted our (organic cotton) tee shirts with alum. I used rubber bands for P's Tshirt & mine, and also marbles, for U's Tshirt. Chris got another Tshirt dyed with another plant. (coming soon)

This was in the dye pot ...

And this is my Tshirt, right out of the pot ... folded, then unfolded

And these are the three Tshirts, dry & ironed. Mine, P's & then U's.

The last photos don't do justice. The yellow isn't really bright but it's still a nice one. Still very sunny, but it doesn't look so on these last photos.

I'm looking forward to tie dyeing with other clothes & other plants ! It's exciting !

oxox

S