Notes for botanicals. my notes
Travel PA to look at other TYPES fabric and price
Travel PA and research wood strips for holder of pieces
check out who. can hem cotton if get grant… need to put cost in. budget
find out cost NEW propane tank to replace 1 outdated and price to fill tank still valid for use.
cost 2 sheets 3/4 inch plywood to. create table
does the steamer need upgrading?
? what power will be used
DONR -April – collect pine cones, bark & simmer for dyes.—-DID SOLAR
-Commence producing rust water. STARTED APRIL
-cut raspberry canes, cut & simmer for dyes.
-fabric will be scoured using propane burners for heat.
May – dig, cut & simmer roots for dyes.
-pick dandelion heads & solar extract a yellow dye.
-weeds picked to produce dyes. (some can be solar extracted)
-select fabrics will be mordanted so they can accept the prepared dyes.
FABRIC PRINTING:
-weeks 3 & 4 of May — two panels to be completed.
-At the start of each week, a selected piece of mordanted fabric will be soaked 24+ hours in organic dye.
-A blanket is soaked 24+ hours in a metallic salt solution, predominantly rust water.
– Organic materials to be placed on the dyed fabric, specific leaves, weeds, and grasses, will be collected either the night before or early morning of each printing.
– A damp 8 ft. carrier is laid out on a table and smoothed.
– the damp dyed fabric is placed over the carrier.
-The leaves, blossoms, weeds and grasses are laid out on the damp cotton, silk or bamboo in a pre-planned pattern.
-The blanket is squeezed to damp dry and laid over the entire fabric, covering the organic materials.
-A roller, as long as the fabric is wide, is then placed on the edge of the carrier and rolling is started.
-Once rolled, a system of tying with string ensues, attempting to create as tight of bundle as possible,
-The bundle is then steamed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours with propane heat. (see photo of steamer in support material)
-When cool enough, it is unrolled and left to dry for several weeks before rinsing and finally ironing.
June – leaves & branches from the maple, raspberry, current, cherry and others, will be simmered to produce dyes.
-the above 2 week process is repeated for the 4 weeks of June
July – lettuce and additional vegetation will be selected and made into dyes.
-four weeks of process as above.
August – first two weeks will repeat as above. After that the tannins are not sufficiently strong.
Mid-August through September: fall garden plants and late blossoms will be gathered and dyes produced for 2025.
2025: — a repeat of 2024. I will create sufficient dyes and collect enough plants to accomplish one bundle per week which is 12 per year.
Riverview Arts 