Weeds, Weeds, Everywhere are Weeds!!!

Some people define weeds as plants growing out of place. Or flourishing where it is not wanted. It might be ok over there. But DEFINITELY NOT here!! I suppose that could hold true for most people. No one really likes a plant that grows where it's not wanted. Or one that takes over a spot with reckless glee and wild abandon. I am not most people, for better or worse. :) Let me tell you a story about how much I truly appreciate a good weed: Scentless Chamomile

This particular variety of Chamomile is on The City of Edmonton's Noxious weed list. It is there for a few well deserved reasons. It is "assertive" in its spread, to put it mildly. A single plant can take up to a whole meter of space AND produce about a million seeds. Yes, you read that right. I did not mistype or exaggerate the point...one million seeds. Per plant. And of course, there never is just the one lonely plant, is there?? NOT A CHANCE!! :) Now, I do love Chamomile, but seriously?? Not THAT much!!!

A while ago my husband was walking our dog around the neighbourhood. He came home with a near giddy look on his face. I didn't think he found dog walks THAT fun, but to each his own. Surprise...that wasn't the reason for his happy face!! He proudly stated that he found something I may like on an abandoned lot not far from our house. This I couldn't imagine!! He isn't into going off the beaten path, looking for odds and ends. AT ALL!! That's my department. Always on the lookout for ANYTHING I could use for my art, no matter where it is. Or what it is, for that matter!! I mean, you never know what could come in handy for a future piece!!! Take it while you can is my unofficial motto!!! So of course, I am BEYOND curious...what the heck did he find?? Well, he found this!! To say I was gleeful was an understatement!! I wanted to go out with my flashlight and start chopping!! He suggested maybe I ought to wait until morning before going out into a junky lot, with who know what hidden hazards there may be. He did have a point. Let me tell you, it was a LONG and sleepless night.

Morning FINALLY came and a-chopping we went!!! The sun was beating down on me. There was no shade. The mosquito's were out for blood. I forgot water and a hat. I was waist deep and then some in Chamomile. I was really, really itchy!! Yet, I could not be happier!! I didn't dare ask David how happy he was!! :) We harvested 4 big brown paper Garden waste bags that are about 4 feet tall!! That's a lot of plants and flowers!! We didn't really make a dent in the field. I kid you not.

As I was trained as a Horticulturist, I knew I wasn't harvesting true dyers Chamomile...Golden Marguerite. (insert picture of true Dyers Chamomile. On live flower and 1 tray of drying flowers ) But, I knew with a bit of fiddling, I could get a very pretty colour out of it. Here is that journey and the results:

First things first, what fabric should I sample on? I have decided to use two kinds of Silk: raw and Habotai. Raw silk is a heavier fabric. It is soft and drapey as well as having interesting surface variations known as slubs. Slubs catch the dye differently and leaves a more interesting final look. Habotai silk is delicate, thin, and has a slight sheen to it. It has no slubs and essentially dyes evenly and consistently. Now that I have chosen my cloth, I mordanted it. Mordanating is a process that allows dye to attach to fabric and to make it permanent. Without mordant, you may end up washing some dyes down the drain. That's never a fun experience. :)

Now that all the prep work is done, the FUN begins!! I chopped up whole Chamomile, stems and flowers, and put them into an old enamel canning pot. I filled it up with boiled rainwater. I let this sit overnight. The next day, I gently simmered the soup for about an hour. The key statement here is GENTLY SIMMER :). Boiling is death for dyes. It makes them go dark and ugly. All the colour a plant possess turns from potentially gorgeous to brown mud. Nasty. At this point, I would remove the plant material from the pot and add my fibre. I did not do this. Since it is not a true dye plant, I wanted to extract out as much colour as I possibly could. I left the chopped plants sit another night. The next day I removed the chamomile and put my soaked silks into the pot. I soak all fibres I use for my art for at least a half hour before I put them in the pot. Over the years I have discovered that soaking really helps the fabric absorb the colour more evenly. I have been in a rush, skipped soaking and came to regret it. Now, I take my time and enjoy every step of the process. It may take longer, but I think it's well worth it. My art is the ultimate in Slow Art!! :)

Again, as I was unsure of how strong my dye was, I left my silk samples sit in the vat over night. I put a lid on the pot to resist pulling out my samples and look at what was happening. Yes, I am like a kid waiting for Santa!!! I can't stand the suspense!!! Morning FINALLY arrived and I could look at what was in the pot!!! I was tickled to put it mildly!! The colour was WONDERFUL!! A rich, deep, sunny yellow!! Each silk sample took the colour differently.

I decided I wanted to take this experiment a bit further. I adjusted the Ph of the bath, just to see if I could coax the green out of the plant material. I did!! I LOVE the green!!! In fact, I think it is even prettier than the yellow!! As you can see, the green is different on both samples. Nature is FASCINATING!!!

I was so delighted with my successful samples, I went back and collected more "weeds". I wanted to make sure I had a good supply for special projects and just plain fun on a cold and miserable winter day. I may have succeeded in getting a good stock.

On a very important note, when you are harvesting always ask permission for the land owner and NEVER harvest ALL plant material. Harvest with respect and sustainability. Plants need to reproduce. Yes, even weeds!! Bees, birds, bugs and many other critters need plants for food and shelter. Always respect Mother Nature and what she provides. Thank you. :)

I hope you have enjoyed this post on working with nature and all her splendid - There will be many more experiments to come!! So many plants, so little time!!!

The End.