A few weeks ago I picked a bag of polk berries. (The berries are poisonous to humans). I usually never fool around dyeing with berries as they change color and fade quickly. But after reading of different techniques I thought I'd try.
After picking the berries I froze them.
They say to have a long lasting dye to mordant the fabric with vinegar not alum, and mordant right before dyeing.
They say to have a long lasting dye to mordant the fabric with vinegar not alum, and mordant right before dyeing.
I simmered a piece of wool and a piece silk fabric an hour and half in a pot with approximately 1 gallon of water and 1 cup of white vinegar.
That evening was Herb Society meeting at one of our members house. I demonstrated dyeing in a pumpkin cauldron. Being our herbal Halloween meeting I don't think an ordinary pot would work!
Before the meeting I cleaned out the pumpkin (toasting the seeds in the oven for the grandkids, placing them on a cookie sheet with a little melted butter and sprinkling on a seasoned salt, 325 degrees until crisp).
At the meeting I placed the thawed berries in the pumpkin, squished them thoroughly, poured in 1 1/2 gallons of hot water and 3/4 cup of vinegar in, stirred well and added in the fabric.
At the meeting I placed the thawed berries in the pumpkin, squished them thoroughly, poured in 1 1/2 gallons of hot water and 3/4 cup of vinegar in, stirred well and added in the fabric.
Some of the members are knitters and weavers so they will strain out the seeds before adding the yarn.
I saw this pumpkin idea on Pinterest and knowing I didn't want to cook the berries this was the perfect pot.
We always have lots of goodies.
A wonderful punch, apple cider and vanilla ice cream whipped together with pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top.
Back home I'm leaving it as long as it doesn't get moldy.
The vinegar should help lengthen the time. Right now it smells like wine,
and looks like a dripping bloody pumpkin. That ought to give the trick or treaters a scare:)
My husband and I went to visit our friends on the Mississippi, she gave me this wonderful bird bath sculpture she made,
filled with an bowl, sea shells, broken tiles an old handles.
I love it, thank you Donna. Next summer I'll have it on a cement pedestal.
This is our grandsons dog dressed up for Halloween,
a lady bug or
a bumble bee!
