Work > Fermenting Dye Stuff

In July 2013, Paulina Szczesny took me on a journey through our neighbourhood, Thames park and the surrounding banks of the Thames River in London, Ontario. She introduced me to plants that could be used for solar dyeing. We picked bags of flowers, leaves, berries, stems and walnuts and she sent me home with a beautiful jar. The plant materials were jarred with boiled water, salt, vinegar and a variety of fibers: silk casings, fleece, cotton threads, wool, table linens and previously rust dyed cottons. These jars were exposed to the sun for 3 months outdoors. When the weather cooled, the jars came indoors for another month before they were rinsed. These are some of the results.