Late Summer Oak and Cosmos October 14, 2010 The fecundity of
fall–a time of vibrant color from the living and the dead. The
cosmos flowers are giving their last hooray before the close of
the warm weather. Orange petals abound– the source of a
beautiful range of yellow, orange, and gold dye colors. These
flowers can be dried or put into the dye pot right off the
plant. Oak galls can be harvested in plenty this time of year
from the forest floor. They are so extremely abundant– and rich
with tannins. The compounds they contain produce a range of dark
silver grays, and almost-blacks, depending on how you process
them. Pouring hot water over the flowers and letting them soak
for 20 minutes is enough time to create a dye color. This cotton
sample was washed– and left unmordanted before it was painted
upon. Oak gall and iron water was brushed upon it (the black),
the cosmos flower dye was brushed on top. After rinsing, this
was the outcome. This was the oak gall and iron water that was
thickened and then screenpri