There’s something deeply satisfying about creating something from the ground up, from plant dyed fabric to handmade quilt. Today, I’m sharing my latest quilting project: a strawflower quilt made with all naturally dyed fabrics.
The Inspiration Behind the Quilt
As my skills with natural dying have grown, I have evolved from a natural dyer who can dye a fat quarter or two for a pillow to pushing myself to make an entire quilt from natural dyes. For this quilt, I wanted more bold colors that pop than I tend to use in natural dyeing. By adding Indigo and a rich Madder root dye to some of the more Earth-toned, dusty colors, I found a color palette perfect for the Strawflower quilt pattern.
The Dyeing Process
How did I achieve all these colors that come together to make my quilt? Here is a breakdown of the dyes I used.
- Cutch for dark tan, russet red, and rusty orange
- Indigo for shades of blue and green when dyed over a yellow dye
- Pomegranate & Osage Orange for yellow
- Madder for pink and red
- Wattle for dusty pink
- Coreopsis for orange
Of course, I always say the most important part of dyeing is what happens before the joy of color absorption – prepping fabric. All fabrics were mordanted using tannin and alum before dyeing to ensure the best color and longevity.
Taking Time
Natural dyeing and quilting both require time and trust in yourself, and the ability to make mistakes and restart. This process seems frustrating at the time, but leads to growth in the craft and a feeling of utter satisfaction. In dyeing fabric for a quilt of this size, I easily had a couple of fat quarters that turned out spotty or in a shade that would not work for me. Natural dyeing, like quilting, is not perfect, but that’s exactly the point. It’s honest, slow, and one of a kind.
If you’ve ever been curious about working with natural dyes in quilting, try it. It takes time and effort, but I promise you will love the journey as much as the finished fabrics. A few kits and resources to help you down the natural dye path are linked for your convenience.
