Natural Fiber Results with Pomegranate
Pomegranate is a gorgeous fruit with a husk that both inspires and surprises many a natural dyer. Instead of enriching fibers with its glorious magenta hue, it imparts a soft yellow that can be turned up a notch with the addition of a pre-mordant of Alum, or shifted into the land of forest, reaching into olive-greens and greys, with a post-mordant dip in Iron.
Pomegranate gives a slightly richer hue to protein (animal-based) fibers and lighter, gentler hues to cellulose (plant-based) fibers.
Mordants, like Alum, ensure the color will last while also brightening it a bit. And, Iron shifts it dramatically to a olive-green-grey hue.
Check out the results below for more variations.
POMEGRANATE ~ SAMPLES
Below, Pomegranate shows in all its gorgeous yellow glory on protein fibers of wool and silk.
Below, two Silk samples:
pre-mordant of Alum + Pomegranate, and
pre-mordant of Alum + Pomegranate + a dip in Iron afterward.
And lastly, below, Pomegranate shows a tiny bit more muted on cellulose fibers of bamboo, cotton and cotton velvet.
Notice that the weave structure of each has a great effect on the final color results as they interact with our eye.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT USING POMEGRANATE NATURAL DYE?
Visit the "Getting Started with Pomegranate Natural Dye" blog post.
For more information on Natural Dyes and each step of the Natural Dye process, check out "Intro to Natural Dye," ANINI Designs' 48-page eBook.
I cover everything I teach in my 4-hour in-person Intro to Natural Dye Workshops, in addition to offering eco-friendly adaptions to the process.
Subscribe today for more posts on fiber arts, weaving, natural dye and the intersection of each of these with the #mindfulmaking and #slowcraft movements. Cheers! - Jeanine
