Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye
Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye
Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye
Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye
Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye

Hopi Sunflower Seed Dye

Regular price £8.95 Sale

THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT SHIP TO THE EU

A Native American dye, has found its way to the shores of Blighty. Originally used in the colouring of woven baskets, cotton fibers and woolens. The husk of the Hopi sunflower seed appear black with a reddish purple tint.

Hopi offer an "Anthocyanin" dye  known to be heat and light sensitive to various degrees. Pun intended.  Take to care therefore when dyeing not to simmer but gently warm or leave seeds overnight / twenty four hours to release pigment in a passive extraction method.

Increased heat will change the hue of any natural dye and should be monitored to ensure the colors achieved, match that which is desired or needed.  Remove seeds prior to adding garment or materials for even uptake of dye. 

Hopi Sunflower seeds, also work well in eco printing on cellulose or protein fibre offering purple to black brown marks. 

 For the examples featured below, 50g of seed were steeped in 2l of filtered water to create an immersion dye bath.

The top skein of wool took a steel grey with a purple tinge or mole grey. This occured due to lack the of temperature control - Go me- the pot went up to 50°C

The centre 10g skein, was dyed to a deeper shade of mauve, in 400 mls of water  with the addition of 1 tsp of citric acid. the skein sat  for an hour only in a warm bath  and allowed completely cool for a further two hours before it was removed to dry. 

The final 10g skein (bottom) was left in the remaining liquid of the centre skein producing a pretty lighter mauve shade

One cotton shirt was also dyed and still ample pigment to dye more skeins, various shades or further garments a delicate shade of mauve pink

Sold in 50g packs

Grown in Guernsey, Channel Islands