Goldenrod Dyeing - A Pot of Gold

When we moved to our place in the country, we bought 10 acres: 7 wooded ("The Forest") and 3 acres of cleared land. On the "front three" we planted a large vegetable garden and dutifully mowed the rest until it occurred to us that we did not really use all that lawn, so we let much of it go ("The Meadow"). Many plants and small critters took up residence there, especially goldenrod, which had escaped my notice until I started to use plants to dye fabric.

Oh my! I knew that goldenrod (solidago canadiensis for you Latin nerds) is valued for being an especially wash- and lightfast natural dye, and it turns out I have an abundance of it right at my doorstep! Actually, "abundance" is a gross understatement. I think I have enough to supply an entire Minions factory! I needn't fear that my neighbour's bees will go hungry, no matter how much I harvest! Here you see my meadow with the goldenrod in full bloom.

“The Meadow” (and “the dog”)

Goldenrod is also a very easy plant to use as a dye. The best time to harvest it is when the flowers are in full bloom but before they begin to fade and turn brown. Here is my harvested pot of gold:

To extract the dye, I cooked the flowers in rainwater for an hour or so and then turned the heat off and soaked them overnight to get every bit of that golden goodness out of them. I dyed three different weights of cotton fabric and was hoping to have three different shades of colour for each by using three dye baths, but the dye was so strong there was hardly any difference between the dye baths!

Just to back up and give the full picture. I mordanted all the fabric in a tannin bath of sumac leaves (also from "The Meadow") and then in Alum.  I may have gone overboard on the sumac leaves because the fabric was already a bit yellow when the mordanting was complete.

It’s a shame the computer screen cannot reproduce the vivid yellow of the dyed fabric. Modeled on the pretty ladies below, you can see the range of possible colours produced in last year’s goldenrod dye pot: from a dark golden mustard to a pale, buttery cream. I love them all!

Making Historical Dolls

I did not set out to make dolls dressed in historical clothing, but now looking back I guess it's inevitable that someone would eventually inquire. Being the kind of person I am--foolhardy and loving a challenge--I of course said "yes." So this post is about my adventures in making dolls with a historical twist. 

The first request was for some Pioneer dolls, specifically Laura, Mary, Carrie and Grace Ingalls of "Little House on the Prairie" fame. It was easy to agree with this project because I have a special connection to those books. My Mother's maiden name was Ingalls, and I am distantly related to Laura Ingalls Wilder. So off I went into the realm of bonnets and calico. Can you tell I was especially enthralled with the bonnets? Big and pouffy was my aim! And the little bloomers had me charmed, too! 

In fact, the process was so much fun that I went ahead and made Ma and Pa Ingalls too. Just because it didn't feel right to leave the family incomplete. (By the way, they are in my shop, if you're interested).

Homily

And then there was the time someone wondered if I knew about the children's book series called "The Borrowers." It's about, well, doll-sized people who "borrow" things from regular-sized humansto live on. I especially love their names: Pod (the father), Homily (the Mother) and Arrietty (the daughter) --all dressed in early 19th century garb. 

Arrietty

Along the way they also meet a "wild" borrower, Spiller, who hunts with a bow and arrow. Did I mention I love a challenge? Turns out the tips of dogwood branches look just like little spears!

Here's Pod with his bowler hat

Spiller

It's a good thing I had some practice with Pod's outfit, because recently I was asked to go even further back in time--all the way back to the 18th century!  So that's when masculine attire still included lace and ruffles. And buttons! Loads of buttons! I figured out how to make pint-sized waist coats, long jackets, short trousers, stockings and shoes with big buckles on them. Hairstyles of the day were meant to look like wigs rather than the other way around, and so we have side curls and pony tails! Fashions certainly change!

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I don't know what is next. Medieval frocks and wimples? Greek togas?  Whatever it is, I'm sure it will keep me on my dollmaker's toes!

A Winter Meditation

Here in the North, winter has its own beauty and charm. I love the many incarnations of snow and ice.
 

The sparkling diamonds of sunlight through the branches.

The soft icing of snow on trees and fences.

And there are discoveries to be made! I can finally see what my dog "sees" with her nose all year around. Woodland creatures scurrying through the cold and wet.

Are they under there in hidden tunnels, Tessa?

Should we stop for a cup of tea with the snow fairies? Hmm, maybe some other time ...

Translucent berries suddenly stand out with their ruby-red colour. Last year's growth reassures me that all will be returning soon enough with green growth, just like every year.

Winter lets me dream of all the things I could do when it warms up, without having to consider the work involved. At least not yet...

Louise

Sometimes a doll begins with an idea for a dress. Once I had dyed some cotton fabric with madder, the traditional "red-plant" used before synthetic dyes, I couldn't wait to make a sweet and simple dress with it. I wanted to highlight the rustic beauty of the fabric, so I resisted the urge to add lots of fancy lace or trimmings.

Ok. I did put pretty vintage Mother-of-Pearl buttons on it and lined it with some lighter fabric from the second dye-bath, but it needed a closure and lining, right?

So that is how Louise was started, with blond hair to set off her red dress. She also has a soft matching Alpaca shawl which you can see in the photos in my shop (link below).

She also needed something practical for play. A gentle Avocado-dyed blouse (with pocket!) and lace-trimmed pants seemed just right.

Oh and I experimented with using a walnut dye to stain my wooden buttons, behold! ... it worked quite well! I guess woodworkers already know about walnut dye, but this was a revelation to me.

A nightgown, quilt and pillow and Louise is ready for bedtime. She looks so cozy in her bed, it makes me a little drowsy...

Anyway! She is available in my shop and will travel to her new home in her fabric-covered and felt-lined box that doubles as a bed. I'm sure someone is waiting for a little companion just like her!

Of Fabric and Dyes

Most of us who sew have a bit of a thing about fabric. We love to touch it, squeeze it, drape it and just generally admire its colours, weave and texture. I have a very difficult time parting with any piece of fabric, not matter how small or ugly because I feel there will surely be some future project that will require just such a piece. And yes, I have a completely out of control fabric stash (but not as out of control as a friend of mine's who ended up storing some of hers in an old chest freezer!)

When I first began this dollmaking thing, I was fortunate enough to inherit some stashes, my mother's for one and then obtained some from friends and a few lucky finds at yard sales. Add to that a weakness for picking up a fat quarter or two whenever the opportunity presents itself, and I thought I was all set for making doll clothes for a while.

Well, that was until I caught the dyeing bug. I wish I could remember how exactly I was exposed to this virus, but never mind, at some point I dyed some local yarn I had bought with some avocado pits. I was instantly hooked! It was only a matter of time before I was researching natural dyes, and how to mordant (pre-treat) fabric and what plants to use and how big the pots needed to be and and and...; I was off and dyeing.

So, I wish I could say that my initial journey toward plant-based dyes was all about sustainability and protecting the environment, which of course it is, but there is so much more to it than that! You see, I am also an organic gardener who grows a lot of her own food and has plenty of space to expand my operation with a dyer's garden. And once I learned which plants lend themselves to colourfast dyes, I was thrilled to discover that many grew right on my property or nearby.

An added incentive was the colours which plant-based dyes produce. It stands to reason that they would look kind of old-fashioned since this is how fabric was dyed before the development of synthetic dyes. It's also a bit how I envision my dolls --kind of old-fashioned and traditional, in an updated sort of way.

And, yes, fabric dyed naturally is much better for the environment. It's one less thing to be produced using toxic chemicals which harm our planet, not to mention the people who have to work with them. (Click on the link at the end of this post if you want to learn more). I will still use the fabric in my stash (washed with organic soap to remove any chemical residue), but I am also quite pleased to be able to offer a better way.

The best part: It's loads of fun! Harvesting and cooking the plants, preparing the fabric, and then watching what colours emerge from the dye pot is possibly the most excitement I've had since I made my first doll! (No, I don't get out much). Even the spouse got swept up in the excitement and made me an outdoor dye station for my "vats" as he calls them. So, be prepared for more posts on the dyeing process if you follow this blog!

Waldorf (Inspired) Dolls

It occurred to me that some who have landed here may be new to handmade cloth dolls and particularly to Waldorf-style dolls. So if you have never encountered this type of doll before, this post is for you!

Technically, a Waldorf doll is a plain doll made from natural materials. It has a minimum of features in order to leave as much as possible to the imagination of the child. Especially the dolls intended for the youngest children are to be mere suggestions of the human form, perhaps just a ball wrapped in a piece of a fabric. Older children can benefit from having a more detailed doll with clothes to dress their charges in or babies which could be diapered. The emphasis is on learning to take care of and nurture another human being and developing empathy. At least that's how I understand it.

But really the Waldorf way of making dolls is based on a traditional European one. It seems somehow natural to stuff a cloth doll with wool.  And the art of tying the head ball with string so that it takes on a human shape must have developed over time. Mothers have always made dolls for their children to play with using whatever materials were readily at hand.

And today cloth dolls are made in whatever way their maker finds pleasing. Nose or no nose, ears or no ears, lips or no lips, belly-buttons, knees and elbows--from so "realistic" you might mistake them for a real child to stylized and fanciful, all dollmakers seem to have their own unique vision. Sometimes they're called Waldorf-inspired or fiber-art dolls when they go well beyond the Waldorf ideal. I absolutely love the variety that is out there! And of course, over time, I have developed my own ideas about what kind of doll I want to create.

What most Waldorf type dolls have in common, however, is the natural materials used to make them: 100% cotton skin fabric which stretches just the right amount for proper stuffing. And then mountains of lovely sheep's wool for the inside. (I know I tend to go on about this, but it is absolutely my favorite raw material).

The result is a soft, cuddly handmade doll which feels warm to the touch and smells like a hug. Like the Mona Lisa, a subtle smile graces their lips, and their eyes seem to follow you around the room. It's uncanny!

Anyway, I could go on--we converts tend to be a bit, well, enthusiastic about our little darlings. Some of us even have a hard time letting them go when the time comes... If you have questions, send me a note, I'd love to hear from you!

About Me

Hello! I am new to this blogging thing, so here's a little bit about me by way of introduction. I'm Dorothy, and I live with my spouse in rural southern Ontario (Canada). We did not always live in the country, and I did not always create things for a living. I used to live in Toronto, which is a fine city, as cities go, but bit by bit I outgrew my garden, and we found ourselves taking drives into the surrounding countryside for berry-picking and walks in the woods. The air was cleaner, and the pace of life slower and more connected to the earth. So a few years ago, when we could manage it, we made the move. What a difference 100 kilometers can make! Our property has plenty of room to grow things, go for a walk with the dog, and to get into all kinds of mischief of the crafty, creative kind. I began making dolls which forced me to brush up on my sewing, knitting and embroidery skills. Most recently I have become entranced with dyeing fabric naturally, with plants, many of which grow right in our backyard! The spouse built me a nice outdoor dyery, and I'm off and running making colourful fabrics. So if you want to know what's it's like to get back to making things by hand in a way that does not harm Nature or exploit other humans, you may want to come along with me for the ride!