I’ve just spent a week at Bellingen’s annual Camp Creative, and I think I might be developing a new obsession – dyeing natural fabrics with plant pigments.

For five days, the ever patient Anne Leon guided us as we experimented with leaves, seeds, flowers, twigs and vegetables which we placed between layers of natural fabric and then wrapped around pvc pipe, folded, clamped or tied and dropped into simmering pots of lemon myrtle, eucalyptus, red cabbage and brown or red onion.
With mordant (setting agent) added, the magic started …

Anne Leon

Red cabbage and Lemon myrtle

Our creations in the pot

Brown onion dyed wool

Brown onion dyed fabric drying

During the week we all learnt a new mantra:

“there are no mistakes, just unexpected results”

Here is a selection of unexpected results which I am happy to show off.

Brown Onion skin on silk

Lemon Myrtle

Eucalyptus & Davidson Plum

Davidson Plum on silk

Detail from Eucalpytus silk scarf

Cinerea & possibly Loropetalum

Perhaps the weeds in my ever increasing collection could be put to
a creative use instead of just being composted ?