I tried something new when I eco-dyed recently. Previously I had boiled to dye my items, completely immersing bundles in water and gum leaves. This time I tried steaming as well.
I got a steamer with my new pots and invested in a second camping stove so that I could run two pots at a time.
I had one pot boiling dye while I set the second one up to steam.
I had tried a little bit of steaming with my mum, and she got very clear leaf prints that were more delicate than those of boiled dyed clothes. I couldn't wait to try it.
I had seen a lot of people with silk scarves dyed with rose petals and other flowers and assumed that they had been steamed.
My hands were too dirty for in-progress wrapping photos, but here are the two silk shirts steaming away over the boiling pot. One started out cream and the other a tan colour.
The final result? Well, it turns out that the rusty items don't steam into the fabric very well, but the tea leaves and leaves certainly do! This was the cream shirt:
This leaf print isn't as clear as I had hoped, but perhaps I didn't tie the bundle tight enough?
I do love this speckled effect on the front though.
The tea leaves created a lovely pattern.
The second shirt was wrapped around a horse shoe, but other than some black colour the pattern did not come through.
Another leaf in the middle.
And a nice wash of copper colour from the tea leaves.
An interesting collection of patterns on the back, too.
I think this odd pattern here is one of my favourite from these two shirts!
More things to play with next time 😊
#lovelypennypatterns
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