COCHINEAL BEETLE DYE

native to mexico & the american southwest,  the cochineal beetle lives on

the prickly pear cactus.  if you’ve every seen prickly pear fruit, you know

the amazing color of cochineal dye ~

a brilliant pink that evokes the north american desert lands

here is the recipe we use to dye about 8 lightweight silk garments:

to make the dye ~

plan to use a 15 gallon pot for dyeing

first, add 2 oz of cochineal beetles to a 1 quart pot of water

boil for 30 minutes & strain off dye,

repeat 4 times,

add the dye liquid to the 15 gallon pot filled with water

boil your premordanted frocks ~ ( i boil the fabric or clothing in a potassium aluminum sulphate solution the day before ~ 5.5 oz in 15 gallons of water ) in the dye for 1 hour

sometimes we add vinegar to the dye bath & this yields a less bluish pink that reminds me of the shade used in south american textiles

~ nancy

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