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!

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!