Some years ago I spent much of the year living in small mountain villages in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco south of Marrakech. One of the houses I rented had an old garden behind it which hadn’t been tended for a good number of years. It had an abundant corner of wallflowers along with stunning hollyhocks. I was aware that local women use plants to make dyes for their wool which they make into beautiful rugs but no-one could tell me if wallflowers were one of those plants. Back home in Ireland, I planted wallflower seeds and now have a healthy patch to test my theory.
I picked a couple handfuls of flowers along with stems and leaves, put them in a pot of water and simmered them for an hour or so. I added a piece of dry silk which took up a beautiful rose violet colour. That was removed after an hour of sitting in the dye. I added a second batch which were four silk ribbons. These had been soaked in a white vinegar and hot water solution. These produced a brighter shade. A third piece treated the same as the second was then added to a rusty iron water solution. This became a beautiful olive green.
I absolutely love the alchemy of dyeing with natural ingredients. Always a beautiful gift.
Karima Rebecca Powell Artist 