Category Archives: Iron mordant

Natural dyeing : a tongue in cheek look at the vicissitudes of a cotton sheet’s life

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Margaret Ford

Life as a cotton sheet can be fraught.  Not always of course.  The lucky ones get bought by people who use them on their beds for years.  They get to serve a very passive but important role. They mature and … Continue reading →

Posted in dyeing with avocado pips, Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing | 3 Comments

A Coreopsis Opportunity

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Margaret Ford

A couple of weekends ago WAFTA (http://www.wafta.com.au) was invited to an Open Garden in Victoria Park here in Western Australia.  The organisers had the foresight to ask us  to complement the beautiful garden beds with demonstrations of how fabric can … Continue reading →

Posted in dyeing with red onion, Eucalyptus cinerea as dye, Eucalyptus sp as dye, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing, purple carrots as dyes | 1 Comment

Stitched and Bound!

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Margaret Ford

Yesterday I blogged about giving a short lesson to members of WAFTA on natural dyeing and eco-printing. What do I  do with all the fabric I produce? Today I am recording my absolute pleasure at having had my entry into … Continue reading →

Posted in casuarina dyeing, Design, Eucalyptus sp as dye, exhibiting, fabric collage, Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, kangaroo paw as dye, Murraya paniculata (orange jessamine) as dye, Natural dyeing, patchwork | 6 Comments

An Eco-printing “taster” for WAFTA

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Margaret Ford

I was delighted to be asked to do a  half day introduction to eco-printing for the Western Australian Fibre and Textile Association (WAFTA) three weeks ago.  WAFTA wanted to expose its members to a whole range of skills that they … Continue reading →

Posted in casuarina dyeing, dyeing with red onion, Eucalyptus sp as dye, Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, kangaroo paw as dye, Murraya paniculata (orange jessamine) as dye, Natural dyeing, purple carrots as dyes | Leave a comment

The Cotton/Linen Dyeing Problem

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Margaret Ford

Silk is a cinch.  Right?  Prints beautifully. Cellulose fibres, on the other hand, are more problematic.  So I want to master them in eco-printing.  India Flint’s Eco-Colour has some guidance on soaking cottons and linens in supermarket soy milk products.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Eucalyptus sp as dye, Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing, purple carrots as dyes, soy milk mordant for cellulose fibres | 3 Comments

Vine leaves and geranium fabric printing

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Margaret Ford

My friend  Louise Wells didn’t just bring delicious smoked salmon blinis to Melbourne Cup lunch last Tuesday.  She brought a large bag of garden cuttings.  Among them, vine leaves. So I had a little go at bundling some of them … Continue reading →

Posted in Geranium leaf printing, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing, vine leaf printing | Leave a comment

Adding iron to an onion pot

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Margaret Ford

  This post is about two things.  First: the wonders of iron in a pot (thank you Jane Flower!).  Second: rose leaves (thank you Louise Wells for the latest batch!) I am building up a store of silk with eco-prints … Continue reading →

Posted in casuarina dyeing, dyeing with red onion, Eucalyptus sp as dye, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing, Rose leaves | 3 Comments

Walking has its benefits

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Margaret Ford

If I have to take my ageing legs for a walk I figure I might as well go somewhere interesting.  My current favourite destination right now  is the Bayswater wetlands, not far from my place.The wetlands are under threat from … Continue reading →

Posted in Eucalyptus sp as dye, Iron mordant, Natural dyeing | 2 Comments

More systematic natural dyeing

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Margaret Ford

    I am still going through Eco Colour by India Flint, finding I am open to so much more of her advice now that I have done a bit of bundling.This time I chose to look at two possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Iron mordant, Natural dyeing, Soursob mordant | Leave a comment