Dyeing with local plants at the fashion design department of the „University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld“ in November 2019 with students from the class of Prof. Philipp Rupp and the support of textile printworkshopmanager Delia Herden.
The workshop focused on 3 different aspects of plantdyeing: dyeing with local and traditional plantdyes, Bundle Dye and Hapa Zoma. All textiles were premordanted with alum. As afterbaths, to achieve a variety of colours and tones, we used vinegar, washing soda and rustwater. The natural dyes used were Madder root (Rubia tinctorium), Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), Onionskins (Allium cepa), Avocado stones and skins (Persea americana) and Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. rubra L.) The students also brought many different parts of plants like flowers, leaves, pomegranate kernels, black corn etc. for Bundle Dye and Hapa Zoma.
For Bundle Dye plantmaterial is spread out, like flowerpetals on a wet or dry, premordanted textile. Its then rolled up tight, fixed with thread and steamed. The plantmaterial will give colour to the cloth and leave an impression on it. Hapa Zoma is a technique, where the colour of plantmaterial is transferred into the premordanted wet or dry textile, by beating the plants with a hammer into the cloth.
