Tender apple branches pruned from the orchards we planted here in 2005. The branches were run through our chipper, then ground into a fine sawdust. Bark and small branches are tannin rich so this may be used as a pre-alum mordant for cellulose fibers, or as a dye. In the dye experiments I conducted I achieved beautiful neutral shades with both the leaves and the branches. The branches yielded a slightly darker shade than the leaves. It’s tricky to achieve soft neutral shades with natural dyes but I’m really pleased with these. When treated in an iron bath at 3% WOF after dyeing, the shades shifted to darker versions.
These apple leaf and branch dyes pair well with madder root, weld, marigold, and indigo. The Schoolhouse quilt blocks in the photos were dyed with apple leaves and bark and paired with madder root pink, weld, and indigo.
Check out this blog post:
Natural Dyeing with Apple Leaves and Bark
Grown by Tom and cured by Sara here in southwestern Colorado on Ancient Future Farm. Our family has been tending this land and soil with regenerative growing methods since 2005. Our soil is nurtured through extensive cover cropping and our crops are fertilized with compost that we make right here on site. We never use synthetic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or fungicides. All of our natural dyestuffs are packaged in heat sealed envelopes to keep them fresh.
Tender apple branches pruned from the orchards we planted here in 2005. The branches were run through our chipper, then ground into a fine sawdust. Bark and small branches are tannin rich so this may be used as a pre-alum mordant for cellulose fibers, or as a dye. In the dye experiments I conducted I achieved beautiful neutral shades with both the leaves and the branches. The branches yielded a slightly darker shade than the leaves. It’s tricky to achieve soft neutral shades with natural dyes but I’m really pleased with these. When treated in an iron bath at 3% WOF after dyeing, the shades shifted to darker versions.
These apple leaf and branch dyes pair well with madder root, weld, marigold, and indigo. The Schoolhouse quilt blocks in the photos were dyed with apple leaves and bark and paired with madder root pink, weld, and indigo.
Check out this blog post:
Natural Dyeing with Apple Leaves and Bark
Grown by Tom and cured by Sara here in southwestern Colorado on Ancient Future Farm. Our family has been tending this land and soil with regenerative growing methods since 2005. Our soil is nurtured through extensive cover cropping and our crops are fertilized with compost that we make right here on site. We never use synthetic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or fungicides. All of our natural dyestuffs are packaged in heat sealed envelopes to keep them fresh.
