In 2022, the coreopsis I had sown the year prior finally began blooming and producing an abundance of bright yellow flowers. I was quick to take a portion of the blooms for artistic endeavors, primarily looking to dyeing. This was my first introduction to homegrown dyestuff and was a fun full-circle experimentation.
Various fabric types got used, but my favorite was the chiffon silk due to its bounciness, the richness in colors, and the sheerness. I started by wrapping the flowers and silk around a wooden rod with some plastic wrap in between each layer (to prevent bleeding over), and secured the fabric using hemp rope. Once a good steam bath was ready, I submitted the wrapped rod into the pot for 12-18 minutes (depending on how well the pigments leeched out). I then let the pole cool and unwrapped it to see what I got.
I found that a dilute solution of bleach shifted the colors toward red, and sprayed the solution using a spray bottle in a few areas. The outcome was perfect. Once silk I shifted much more toward red and one I left more toward oranges and yellows.
The first silk dyed with coreopsis flowers (whole flower) in a steam bath. Colors were shifted slightly using a dilute solution of bleach and water.
LACRIMEDIA 