natural dyeing, peony

deep violet to almost indigo blue, and yellowish stains from peony leaf on pre-mordant cotton.

Tree peonies or Paeonia is a flowering plant that can reach an average 4-5 feet in height. It is a woody shrub that is native to Asia, Southern Europe and Western North America. Peonies are an ornamental plant with large and striking flowers that comes in a variety of colors in white, red, and pink. The flowers bloom in late spring and early summer. It is a spectacular plant to have and to enjoy in the garden.

my 4-year old tree peony with big striking red flowers

Below are results of eco-prints made with this plant on pre-mordant cotton. I used peony, pinweed, borage, and daisy flowers that were pre-soaked in a vinegar bath, prior to putting on the fabric. Then the bundle was steamed in water for about 2 hours in my dye pot. I usually set my bundles out to cool and aged for a couple of days. At times, I get impatience, as it’s hard not to take a peek 🙂

The highlight of the day was untying and peels open the folds of the cloth to see the results under the wet soggy plant materials. Today’s post was one of those moments! The results were great and unpredicted–it was truly another beautiful dyeing journey for me. The magic of eco dyeing is inspiring, and fascinating. I am enthralled by it all.

bundled peony foliage and pinweed in pre-mordant cotton

a yellowish-green from peony leaves

fresh out of the pot–peeling off soggy peony leaves

deep violet to almost indigo blue, and yellowish stains from peony leaf on pre-mordant cotton.

Here, is another experiment using the entire stalk of flower and leaves with other plant material on pre-mordant cotton.

peony with yellow daisy and borage flowers

more blues and greens

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“A smile is worth a thousand words, live happy, dye happiest.”