Fall is approaching and I need to harvest the remaining marigold flowers that have brightened the garden. Most have been planted in pots, however I did plant a large section of marigolds on a side garden- during the dry days of August, these flowers flurished (with watering) and I have been collecting, drying and then freezing them (the flower heads) in bags to use this November in class. The dye ranges in bright sunny yellow to deep crimson, depending on the flower color of course. This dye works well on all natural fibers/fabric. Basically the only ingredience needed is marigolds, water (distilled) and alum. The frozen flowers I will just add to the dye pot like I would with the fresh flowers. Check out my November blog and see the results we get in class!
This jar is full of water/alum/flowerheads and set in the sun for 3 days. It's like making sun tea but instead a bright yellow dye. I strained the liquid and then have stored the remaining clear dye in a dark cool place for use this Fall. This is a great way to make dye in the summer months using a sustainable method. Otherwise, without the use of the summer sun, I will need to heat and simmer the pot for about 1 hour to make the dye and then strain, at that time I can add my fabric for another hour to simmer and stir for consistant dyeing results
