Cynthia St. Charles Store

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Golden Pea in Solar Dyeing


The Round Leaved Golden - Pea (Thermopis rhombifolia) blooms cover the hillside above our house every spring with their vivid yellow color. Apparently, they can be poisonous to animals, but I sure enjoy looking at them.

I believe these are also called Yellow Pea and Golden Banner.

Last summer, I did some Solar Dyeing experiments with the leaves of this plant, after the blooms had faded. I wrapped cotton broadcloth around fresh leaves (with stems) and stuffed the bundle into a Mason jar. I had some rusty water in a bucket containing iron items I use for rust dyeing, so I poured this water into the jar, submerging the fabric. This jar sat out in the Montana sunshine for 2 months.
I have taken the time to record my experiments in a notebook, with swatches stitched in place on each page, with brief notes.

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