Gorse Flowers - Experimenting with Historical Dyes🌾

Gorse is a plant native to Europe, the UK, parts of Africa, and is an invasive weed here in Australia. When used as a dye material, it can create some vibrant hues. This video is about exploring just a little bit about using gorse flowers for dyeing.

Gorse Flowers - Experimenting with Historical Dyes🌾

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[RandomAFP]

Wow that's almost as bright as I got with buttercups

[geezlouise]

Great video, thanks! I am feeling inspired to give it a try. We have plenty of gorse. I haven't played around with dye for quite a few years. Where did you source your alum? Last time I played with dye I got mine from a rural supply store, which is a cheap way to do it, but not so clear what the strength is. Copper is another mordant that is easy to get in rural stores and it might be fun to compare the two mordants with the same dye lot.

[JessicaStoleYourPorkchopStory]

Ylva - "Look at this beautiful - "
Me " - spaghetti."
Ylva - "-vibrant yellow."
Me - "Aww "

[urchincreature]

I had no idea gorse flowers yield a lovely yellow dye! So much introduced gorse grows wild where I live in Aotearoa. I'll be trying to harvest, and dye with, it in the future :D

[elizabethmcglothlin]

Another yellow comes from apple bark. I'm not advocating stripping apple trees, but if you need to cut one down...

[chrispe]

Fantastic!! I’ll have to be on the lookout for some gorse flowers! I do have some Oxyalis steeping for a dyebath, while not used historically in Europe it does make a nice yellow too.

[metacruft]

Well done to you and your friend Louise! I take it there was little danger of your hands taking the colour then? Was the silk mordanted with alum also? I had the idea that different dyestuffs and fibre types required different mordants, but I'm pretty ignorant on the details save for what I hear in passing.

[PopulaUrbanum]

That was amazing, I am surprised that the colour of both lots of dyes was consistent. Water used for dying can have such an effect on the final result, not just PH but the mineral content of the water will change the outcome.

I assume you both were on the same town supply?

[robbieatvic]

Really cool. Loads of history here. Thanks for sharing 👏

[Giustina]

I have 5 meters of heavy wide linen to dye... thinking of using tumeric powder. I wanted to gather something from outdoors, but a lot of plants would be needed for that much fabric. Not to mention needing a really big pot... I predict dying in my bathtub in the future.

[SB-ylmt]

Inspiring. That idea should help slow the spread of the nasty beast blossoms that plague our area.. Let me know if you want me to grab some and freeze them for another time ♥️

[daisanders]

Should save the blossoms before we uproot the gorse and burn it.