Friday, April 3, 2015

Growing and Harvesting Dye Producing Plants


Seed "Tapes" for first graders to plant
Yesterday I presented the chemistry lesson to the first grade class: how mordants work to adhere dye to wool. The metal salt forms an insoluable "lake" with the dye molecules.

And did you know that alizarin could replace cobalt in some batteries, thus making them non-toxic?
Vashon Island wool dyed for artist's residency, first grade        
L to R: madder root, dyer's chamomile, logwood, cochineal, coreopsis. The logwood, cochineal, and some of the madder were purchased. All other plants were grown in the Helix dye garden.