Morning Glory Flowers into a dye bath

A brief blog post about my first explorations into dyeing fabrics with Indiana's green persimmon fruits.

Stilt Grass dye over Morning Glory Flower and Persimmon Astringent DyeAll of the herbs used in the herbal fabric selections are consider medicinal and have degrees of antimicrobial as well as antiseptic properties.

It is only this past growing season that I noticed the invasive stilt grass throughout all of the garden lands. and it just happend that I looked at it and wondered, if I might get some green out of it.

I was very satisfied with my first dye experiments and will explore stilt grass more this garden year. Because I am a curious artist and what I am sharing here is all that I know to share. I am dyeing over all fabrics that may come into skin contact with a known safe herbal rinses. I will share more on my herbal rinse after treatment of fabrics. .

Morning Glory Flower Dyed Kawandi patched and machine sewn

Persimmon dye suds!!!!!! I can not yet explain why, but it is very important to work with your fabric in the dye until you are able to squeeze the cloth and have suds expressed. This seems (to me) to activate the pigment absorption into my cloth. I have been working with 100% cotton fabrics and and occassional overdye of a silk.

When you begin persimmon astringent dye work, it will seem as though you do not have much persimony pigment. Look at the hint of persimon color in this image. This pale stuff really does get to the deep persimmon colors. It just needs to develop over time, with sunlight, air and water.

Morning Glory Flower Dye Print

All of the herbs used in the herbal fabric selections are considered medicinal in some way, and have degrees of antimicrobial as well as antiseptic properties. Although I have been exploring botanical dyes for many years

It is just in recent years that I have looked into the healthy benefits of wearing natural dyes. It is through finding my way with green persimmon astringent dyeing, that I have come to know of AyurVaetra dyeing - Healthy wellness textiles by nature; part of the AyurVedic dye traditions that is divided into two types - 1. Ayurvastra for General Well-being and 2. Ayurvastra for Ayurvedic Purpose.

It seems that many in the world are seeking the benefits of healing dyes and there seems to be a number of scientific research projects involving the study of some natural dyes toward better understanding whether they can be used to support wellness in medical environments because of their antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial properties that come simply from the natural plant properties.

Hisbiscus Sabdariffa fibers on a board. I have not checked to see what bast fiber may be in other types of Hibiscus.

All of the herbs used in the herbal fabric dye and over dye selections are considered to have degrees of antimicrobial as well as antiseptic properties that attach (may not be the right word) to the fibers and last over varying periods of time.

In recent years that I have begun looking into the many benefits of using natural dyes for my own health as well as the planets essential water systems. It has been the specific interest in using green persimmons in dyeing that I have come to know of Aryvestra dyeing. A traditional wellness dyeing practice in India. I have in my search also come across many scientific research articles of studies in natural dye and properties. There Some of this research is toward use in medical environments.

Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fibers drying beside a piece of Morning Glory flower dyed cotton. This quantity of bast came form four hibiscus plants. This was my first year growing Hibiscus Sabdariffa and my first time ever extracting bast fibers of any type. Inspired by this, I also harvested the bast fiber from Horseradish.