A few weeks ago, a friend gave me 4 buckets of acorns. Most of them will be treats for the squirrels this winter. I was more interested in making dye! I needed some brown tones for a needle felting project I am developing for a class I'll teach later in the spring. The acorns did not disappoint!
I soaked the acorns overnight and then simmered for an hour, leaving them to cool overnight. After removing the acorns from the liquid, I added wool and slowly heated to just below a simmer. It took color, but I wanted a wee bit darker.
My finished felting project:
The center is the acorn + iron dye. Very VanGogh, don't you think?
I love your sunflower design.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea on the acorns, I would have never thought of using iron pills for a dying process, great idea.
Catherine
They were easy to dissolve in water and add to the bath. I have a tendency to mordant at the end of the dye bath. It seems "more gentle" on the fiber.
ReplyDelete