Before owning this itty bitty shop I was a costumer and costume designer for theatre for about 25 years. In that time I have dyed hundreds of yards of fabric. But always under the pressure of a deadline and limited by resources which meant using Rit Dye and other acid type dyes. They were effective and easy and that is exactly why I stuck to using them.
Always in the back of my mind I had the thought and idea that one day I wanted to dye with plants. The first time I tried I was quickly confronted with the limitations of my knowledge. I had the plants and the fabric but what I quickly learned was that there is sooooo much more to dyeing with plants than just throwing fabric in hot water with pretty flowers. I know, I know. All of those Instagram videos make it look so easy. And it's not that its hard necessarily but there are several steps and some information that one must grasp if they want to dye with plants.
So for a couple of years I did a few projects mostly using marigolds and onion skins. I learned how to mordant fabric and I learned which plants just weren't good fits for what I was trying to accomplish. My first project for the shop was dyeing flannel to make paperless towels. They were quite pretty for a cleaning rag. This was also a collaboration as I consigned a local stitcher to finish the edges of the pieces before I dyed them. I was enjoying the process but I knew there was more exciting projects I could undertake and I quickly grew bored of yellow and orange fabric.
In 2023 I took the big leap to apply for a grant that is funded by Culture Works and the Montgomery County Arts Council and I won the grant. The funding made it possible for me to enroll in a class at Maiwa School of Textiles and to create a studio in my basement with all the necessary equipment. The course I enrolled in was 12 weeks long during the summer hours. As part of the commitment to the funding parties I agreed to teach a free workshop at the end of the course. In fact I taught two free workshops.
The Maiwa course was quite in depth and required a commitment of anywhere from 5-12 hours a week. I mostly worked on Mondays, which are typically my day off. I invited different friends to join me if they expressed interest in learning more about dyeing fabric with plants. During the 12 weeks I can say that my mind was blown. It was not hard to motivate each week because the results I was getting and the knowledge I was gaining was so inspiring. I have to say by the end of the course I honestly never wanted to dye with onions again. I wanted to dye with madder root, and weld (the most beautiful yellow), and cochineal buggies, and more. There are so many plants that make beautiful colors that I saw my days of yellows and oranges quickly coming to an end.
At the moment I am mostly dyeing cloth napkins solid colors. It should come as no surprise that I am a big advocate of using cloth napkins at home, everyday not just when you have company. Napkins are small which makes for ease in dyeing. Each year I have dyed a batch and released them around the holidays which seems to go over well with my customers.
One trick I started doing a couple of years ago to find affordable options was to search on Facebook Marketplace for used cloth napkins. Turns out lots of folks DIY their weddings and purchase cloth napkins and then resell them afterwards on the internet. Getting the napkins for $1 a piece makes it possible for me to charge less then the average napkin which in turn makes them more accessible because sadly cloth napkins are expensive. However, they definitely fit into my equation of how many times you use it makes it cheaper per each use. I have some cloth napkins that have been in our collection for well over 10 years. So even if I paid $12 for it that would mean it costs $1.20 per year and cents for each use.
At this point in the blog you may be wondering why I am writing about this topic. Well for one thing I love dyeing with plants. I have been spending a lot of time in my home studio getting napkins dyed for holiday shopping and I am currently planning for a workshop at the Dayton Wellness Collective here in Dayton. So I guess you could say that I have dyeing with plants on the brain. I was reading a pros and cons list last night that I made in 2021 regarding whether or not to leave my posh college instructor and designer job. One of the cons (the much smaller part of the list to be clear) was that I would not have the creative outlet. But right next to that con I wrote a note that I would find other creative outlets. Dyeing with plants has become one of those outlets. I love gardening so growing plants to dye with is an easy thing for me to work into my life. Thanks to the generous Culture Works grant I have a well equipped dye studio and thanks to my wonderful customers I have folks who are willing to buy the products that I spend my time dyeing.
Since I can remember in my life I have been inclined to be creative. When I first started college I was a Nursing major and in order to keep some sanity every semester I took an art class. I just needed that outlet. This is nothing more than that but also so much more. Dyeing with plants gives me a task to focus on when the world is filled with miserable distractions. Dyeing with plants gives me a skill that I can share with others to encourage their creative pursuits. Dyeing plants keeps me connect to the Earth and Her gifts. Dyeing with plants connects me to a rich history of people that have come before me that dared to dig up a root and throw it into a pot of hot water with fabric.
As I grow older I am really thinking a lot about aging gracefully and I have come to realize that one aspect of that is continued growth and skill building. It keeps my mind stimulated and flexible. It gives me a thing to look forward to and be inspired by. And it gives me a practice that I can share with others.
The last reason that I wanted to share with you is because I want to get you all excited for the napkins that I am dyeing! They are turning out so pretty and I am excited to get them into the shop and into your homes.
If you ever want to learn more about dyeing fabric with plants feel free to reach out. I am excited about sharing this joy with others. Furthermore, making something with your hands is a powerful act of resistance and community building. We need that so much right now. So go after it!
Most of the photos in this post were taken by Brieanna Moore. Find her on Instagram.