BLACK WALNUT DYE

the black walnuts i use are gathered
 at my family’s farm in pennsylvania
 every fall i look forward to the variations
 of each season’s harvest 

different shades of rich amber 

influenced by the water, the sun, & their age

an authentic resonance with the natural world

they are a personal connection 

to preserve the walnuts, i dry them in the sun

to make the dye ~

boil 15 pounds of walnuts in 4 gallons of water for about an hour,

then strain the liquid into the dye pot 

do this 6 times to fill a 15 gallon dye pot

walnut requires no mordant, but i sometimes pre-mordant with alum,

 especially if i'll  be using additional layers of botanical color

boil the wetted & cleaned fabric for about an hour, then rinse 
to see a beautiful earth & brilliant botanical color

~ nancy