Project Overview:
The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum in partnership with the Mississippi Mills Public Library proposes a dye garden/bed featuring plants typically grown for use as textile dyes. The project connects with the history of the area as the Rosamond Woolen company in Almonte once had a dye house, and also addresses contemporary interest in natural dyeing processes.
The garden will contain many of the plants that are typically used to make dyes. It will be a great opportunity for education, interpretation, and workshops, beginning in spring, throughout summer and finishing in the fall (possibly at Fibrefest).
Supported by museum, gardening and other volunteers, the small dye garden bed will be located on site at the library to the right of the front doors (behind the Pillar Oak tree).
Bed details:
A raised bed is suggested as there is no soil in that location. The bed would mirror in size, shape and possibly materials, the existing raised bed located to the right of the bread oven. Materials can include cedar ties, boards or galvanized steel.
Next Steps:
Fundraising and/or sponsorship needed to obtain materials.
Materials needed: Soil (½ cubic yard?), wood, seeds and/or seedlings (Thea Haines has provided a preliminary list of plants. See list below).
Solicit more interest and volunteers (Men’s Shed for building?)
Proposed Calendar of Activities
Date Activity Description Resources/Notes
Spring Plant/seed selection and uses: botany and history, First Nations cultivation, and medieval European to industrial period.
Local seed/gardening expert (or possibly guest from Richter’s Herbs, Guildwood ON) See: Seeds/propagation/gardening, botany, first nations/european/colonial horticultural histories, arts/crafts collections at library. Dye bath recipes and artefacts at MVTM.
Late spring Seed sowing and soil fertility Potential for seed sowing and composting workshops
Summer Plant care and interpretation Interpretive signs identifying the plants and uses/colours achieved
Late summer Cultivation and preparation of plant material for dyeing. Possible guests: Textile artist Tania Love,
Thea Haines (head of textile department at Sheridan College and natural dye consultant) Zoom presentation. Using plants to make dyes or direct printing
Eco-Printmaking/textile/art making collections at library
Fall Natural fibre dyeing – wool fleece and cotton See Late summer
Late fall Seed harvesting for next year How to collect and store seeds
Fall/winter What to do with your dyed material. Contemporary and historical uses Historical uses lecture. Spinning, knitting, felting, sewing workshops tie-dye
homemade face masks
cotton scrunchies
yarn for knitting, felting or macrame
VOLUNTEERS
NAME INFO CONTACT JOB INTEREST
Jo Harris Weaver/West Carleton Fibres Guild joharris8@gmail.com
Kathryn James spinner/natural dyer klj323@gmail.com Foraged materials?
Jane Low West Carleton Fibres Guild jane.ben.low@gmail.com
SPEAKERS/WORKSHOP HOSTS
Tania Love Fibre artist/natural dyes Guest speaker
Thea Haines Head of Textiles, Sheridan College, textile artist and natural dye consultant thea.e.f.haines@gmail.com
Plant information and donation, guest speaker
Plant suggestions (source: Thea Haines)
If you're working primarily with wool, you have a wealth of choice in plants. Here's a list of plants I'd recommend:
Annuals
dyer's coreopsis
marigold
scabiosa (pin cushion flower)
Biennials
weld
woad
Perennials
black eyed susan
dyer's chamomile/golden marguerite
lady's bedstraw
madder
tansy
rhubarb (leaves can be used as a mordant)
Japanese maple & Elderberry (both can be used for eco printing)
Most of these plants are really easy to care for. A resource I would recommend is the book A Dyer's Garden by Rita Buchanan. A good source for plants and seeds is Richter's Herbs in Goodwood, Ontario.
