...when you can stuff your tea mug full of fabric scraps and end up with some *antique* color instead. These bits & pieces sat for three days in a strong dilution of Rooibos tea which I used as a natural plant dye. Mind you, I wasn't very tempted to drink it anyway - something about the smell really puts me off. Although I'm aware of its medicinal qualities (very high in antioxidants) and I generally love any plant material that comes from South Africa, this is not the beverage for me. But for dyeing? It serves a whole new purpose...
All these scraps were WHITE (or had a white background)...natural fabrics only, no synthetics. I was pleasantly surprised by how differently they absorbed color. Let me put them into groups so you can get a better feel for the differences:
100% cotton
Rayon/silk blends (top & middle), linen (bottom)
Silks
The cottons took the least color but they do have a pleasing old-world feel, much nicer than their previous stark white selves. The silks took on the most color, by far, and are my hands-down favorites. Look at that bottom one, now an absolutely gorgeous bronze! I don't know silk varieties very well but I believe that's an organza...
Rooibos literally means "red bush" so I was hoping for some of those elusive pinks that many of us have been striving for of late. After the dyeing is over, one is left with these...
Is it just me or do you find those stains on the teabags interesting too? Seems I am not alone - look what I found out amongst the cyberpixies...
abstract tea bag collage, by Armen Rotch
Tea Bag Quilt, by Charlene Hughes
Should any of us be in need of more caffeine for the day, imagine this...entire walls constructed of used tea bags. Bottoms up!
Poetic Justice, by Tania Bruguera
2003 installation at the Istanbul Biennial
