dyeing with flax

A lot of flax in the back yard + a wee scrap of cream silk charmeuse = a dyeing experiment.

A little known personal fact: the 1st two years of my college career were spent studying textile design. I did weaving, dyeing, repeat pattern design – I loved it, but wanted to have a broader range of study. 16 years later, and I’m still bad at dyeing! (Seriously, though, I cannot get consistent color to save my life.)

I made a paste with the flax and vinegar, tossed it all in a pot with some salt, stirred over heat (yes, dunked silk charmeuse in hot water. It seems to be ok.) & this is the result. I like it! There’s just enough fabric for a relaxed tank or a pair of tap pants or a little cap sleeve tee. We shall see.

11 Comments

  1. Beautiful!! I vote for the relaxed tank. :)

    I died some cotton with ground Turmeric recently, and it turned out bright sunshine yellow. It was such a fun and easy project, and I can’t wait to try dying again with some of the perennials that are beginning to bloom around our yard.

    I might try silk this time…

  2. Beautiful! I really want to try dyeing sometime but I’m terrified of choosing dyes and stuff. This look so simple and yields amazing results! I definitely want to see you turn this into a soft t-shirt or tank top. It would be perfect for summer!

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