Roses Are Red...

After cutting some of the last roses in my yard, I just couldn't waste the lovely green leaves... So I tried using them to dye cotton.

Here is the entire half metre piece and there are a few longish Eucalyptus leaves I threw in, as well.

And this piece is now basted and ready to quilt.

In-dey-go!

These indigo leaves look so soft suspended in silk - like a re-cocooning. I picked the leaves I've been growing for months today...

And ended up with surprise dye results that are largely not the blue colour I expected! This is the same silk from above, after steaming. Maybe the temperature was too high.

And here is some silk velvet and cotton results that do have some slightly blue areas. I tried linen as well and had similar results.

Not what I expected - and - interesting and full of possibility to either stitch or dye further.

New Growth

I chose a fine green corduroy backing for this piece - you can see it on the folded over corner - and added some heavier silk and cotton I've dyed to the front.