A wonderful farmer at our local market wrapped up a pile of nettle in newspaper for us a few days back, and we cooked up a dye bath of rich brown nettle. It turned out a fresh light green on the alum-mordanted cotton strips for our pillow shams, and created a very interesting pattern on our shibori-dyed cotton voile. Especially when the popsicle sticks we used to tie the fabric up transferred the turmeric we dyed with the day before… so subtly beautiful.

This dyeing is soothing for my soul these days. I am feeling pulled and so very short of time, off my center a little bit (as I usually do when routines are “off”) but the slow, laborious process of making dye baths, soaking fabric and folding… and dyeing… well, it’s just what I needed.

I look forward to sharing our turmeric-dyeing with you, and a little how-to on a homemade iron mordant.

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