How lovely to hear from you, Jenny! Such an incredible experience you must be having building a tiny home - wow. Best of luck with everything and let me know when you get your new dye studio up and running in your new home 💚

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Will do!!!

Thank you, Malathie - always so much fun to share my natural color adventures with you 🌸

Unless you are growing them locally or have them in your spring and early summer local wild flowers, I'm not sure how else you would get red poppies to dye with. Depending on where you live, maybe try growing them from seed for a future season? Personally, I've never seen fields of poppies like I did in Spain, so I'd say they are a fairly special find ❤

Natural color from red dye sources are notoriously 'fragile', so my best guess is that this color from poppy will fade & change with time. However, if you properly prepare your fiber, use a mordant and treat your creation with care, natural color can age beautifully. You can also play with iron to deepen the shade further into the gray realm and the color should stabilize and last.

So happy you enjoyed the red poppy play, Hilda!

So nice to see you here, Betty 🌼 This was actually a van trip we did two summers ago in Colorado, but it was such a fun time! I've seen you bopping around in your RV, so enjoy every beautiful mile exploring 💚

Thank you! It was such a lovely surprise to find myself surrounded by red poppies and play with them in the dye studio. Feeling very lucky ❤

I can always count on you to say the most lovely things - thank you! It was more magical than the video could possibly show, but if you grew up with poppy fields, you know what an incredible site it can be. Will have to make our way to northern Spain one of these days together ❤❤❤

Hi there! No need to store your iron water in the fridge. I just keep it in my garage which is a cooler, darker place and out of the way. When I made this batch, it was ready to use in about 3 weeks, but that can vary depending on many things. Just keep an eye out on it, shake it from time to time, and when it turns that lovely orange color, it is ready to use🤎

Thanks for your question on pink alternatives to avocado pits 💕 Here are some other options to consider that have brought about soft pinks in my studio, but please remember, results can vary due to so many different factors in the process: cochineal, sappanwood, brazilwood, aloe vera, red onion skin, Japanese maple leaves & hibiscus tea. Some of these will require a pH shift and many have their own challenges with fastness, but you can experience different shades of subdued pinks. How you work with them can impact the color and certainly your choice of fibers and mordant can also play a role. You might try madder root again at some point, but why not play around some of the ones above and see what magic you can create 😊 BTW, there is at least one or more videos on my channel on all of the dye sources above, so you can check those out for some examples. Have fun!

Hi Vid - welcome to the Color Quest family! In my experience, the best way to work in a natural dye studio is to experiment and try to keep an open mind to what transpires - often the unexpected surprises are the best part 🤎 The very basic chemical reaction that brings about black in natural color is the interaction between tannin and iron (as you've mentioned above), but there are so many different environmental situations that are at play that can impact the result. It would be rare (and boring) to get a predictable result each time, but you can certainly become more deeply connected to your process to start to learn what works best for you. In some of my other rust printing videos here, I also used a vinegar and salt combination in order to hasten the rusting reaction of the metal, so if you already have rusty metal, you might decide to skip that step and see if it makes a difference. Best advice is to just keep trying, tweaking what you do, and don't forget that 'less is more' sometimes applies 😊

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thank you for such detailed advice! But did you learn some chemical parts of natural dyeing ? Experiments and unexpected results it’s that I really like ,but sometimes I receive orders from the client in for a specific design,and should make something similar at least .

How wonderful for you to say, Abi - welcome to the Color Quest family! The symposium was incredible and I absolutely love my fiber sample ring. I was just admiring it this past weekend 😊 Have fun with your beard lichen and let us know how it goes 💚

Thanks for your question, Jenny 😊 I have never worked with wet felting, so I can't be sure what effect it will have on rust. However, rust is a form of iron which forms a very strong bond with fiber. Best option is to test it out, and although it might change during the process, I would be surprised if it 'washed out'. It might fade or change, but those types of surprises can often make the most beautiful results in my opinion. Best of luck and let us know if you try it out!

They are truly gorgeous flowers in so many ways ❤ I've never had access to so much abundance, so I can imagine there would be so much more to explore with poppies just like you 😊

Your words speak straight to my heart 🤎 Foraging for natural color has become a very special part of my travels, so you are bound to have loads of smiles when you do the same. Travel well!

Thank you so much for sharing this piece of history. It was a spectacular site and certainly made a statement in my mind that I will always remember ❤

Welcome to Color Quest, Cherie 🌼 Just love this story and how our paths crossed through our shared journey in natural dyeing. Enjoy experimenting and let us know how it goes!

Darlin - they were so magical and dotted the landscape everywhere. It was such a lovely experience ❤

It was an absolutely breathtaking sight and I'm so happy I found the time to play with these beautiful flowers. So lovely that you enjoyed the simplicity of it all - thank you 🌼

Hi Samantha 🌼 I have never made soap, but with a quick search on-line, I think it is sodium hydroxide that is used to make soap, not calcium hydroxide.

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest I think that's correct I was thinking potassium hydroxide and sodium is for bar soap the other is for liquid and it's ok I want to make sure to use the right stuff 😉

@@samanthanicholson9015 Yes, it can be confusing for sure! We use calcium hydroxide (calx) and calcium carbonate in different dye techniques and I also have to be careful to make sure I don't get them mixed up 😊

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest it's definitely confusing

@@samanthanicholson9015 Too true!

Hi Natalie 🍑 Personally, I have never worked with peach pits for any type of natural color, but as a tannin rich source, you can certainly try making a dye pot with them. Best guess is you would get a neutral tone like beige or maybe yellow, but it could also be a great option for giving your fibers a nice binding layer of tannin which you could then do some over-dyeing with other natural colors. Make sure to wash your fibers well before dyeing with them and just give it a try!

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thank you!!

So happy to hear you will have some natural color fun on your travels. Where are you off to?

You bet - happy you liked it! Welcome to Color Quest 🌼

How very sweet of you to say 🌻

Welcome to Color Quest 🌼 So great to hear the video was helpful, and like you, I also love the color of black hollyhock. If you are using wool and you properly prepare with scouring and mordanting, this color should last quite a long time. As with many natural colors, you can expect some fading depending on how it is used & cared for, but I try to celebrate every color a particular dye source will share over time. Enjoy the hollyhock in the garden and in the dye pot 💜

I wish I knew! I'm a true novice at identifying trees, so I'm not sure. I will b back in Idaho in September, so I might ask around 😊

What a very sweet comment - thank you! It was an incredible experience...hope you can join next spring 😊

Thank you, darlin. It was a truly magical time and I'm excited to return March 2025 💚

Thanks so much for sharing this piece of info on TVP - very helpful to consider 😊

You might be lucky if it is easier to grind 😊 I know there are many types of oak gall, so test it out and see how it works for you.