It Doesn't Really "Madder..."

....or does it? With the onset of such beautiful weather, (and the unavailability of my indoor studio because of our massive first floor re-do,)  I've spent a few days in the outdoor dye studio mixing up some glorious colors and playing with resist.

Along with the usual vat of indigo and glass jars of procion, I tried my hand at madder dyeing with some lovely results.

 Chopping up and then heating dried madder root for over an hour in two vessels - a stainless steel pot and a cast iron pot, I threw in scrim, cheese cloth, silk, cotton , gauze and noille.  The results - for a first shot at it - were pretty good.  Nice pinks achieved in the stainless pot and a really nice burnt orange in the cast iron. I did not pre-mordant.  Next time, I will.

Also had a brass cauldron of chestnuts cooking all day into which I submerged more of the same fabrics.  Those, are still batching. Love my little brass cauldron.

A few blue super moons came out of the indigo vat, too.  Fall fodder for hand stitching.