solar dyeing // v a c c i n i u m * m y r t i l l u s

this is it, I rinced that solar dyeing. I've been over my own hopes, and managed to let the jar unopened for 18 days ! (which, I know, may sound ridiculous for some of you)

so the beginning of this solar dyeing was on August 04th, when we were on vacation in local mountains. I had planned to solar dye, so I had mordanted few bits with alum, as usual. I had brought a jar, with the fabrics in it, and filled with water.

what I had in mind was to pick bilberries (the European & Asian species of blueberry), aka vaccinium myrtillus, and crush them with the fabrics, add cold water, close the jar & wait. Well, that's what I did.

this photo below was taken half way ... nine days after starting the dye

and these are the results, 18 days after. I am amazed (why should I be ?!) that silk took so well the color, almost didn't bleed at all, and stayed dark & purple with blue spots ... while the linen & cotton did bleed more, and ended being blue. A lovely blue nontheless !

My mom told me she's going to pick (wild) blackberries for me to solar dye with them. I hope she really can because I'm eager to try, although I have already picked something else to dye with, and I hope to do it ASAP.