How to Dye with Coreopsis I Tickseed I Calliopsis

An incredibly popular dye for ecoprinting and bundle dyeing, Coreopsis blossoms hold stable and vibrant oranges, reds and deep golds. This easy to grow flower is native to Eastern North America and naturalized in many urban and rural gardens all over the world. Come discover why you may want to grow and use these wonderful flowers for dyeing. Whether it’s hammer ecoprinting, shirobi or making colour yarn for a project, this video will help show you how to tweak this dye to give bright deep oranges. You won’t want to miss experimenting with this garden favourite for yarn, shawls or other clothing.
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Yarn for this video was donated in part by Urban Yarns (urbanyarns.com). Much appreciated!
For more in-depth discussion on mordanting, check out my video on dyeing with acorns: • How to Naturally Dye w...
New to dyeing? Start with this playlist: • New to Dyeing? Start h...
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I'm a wildlife ecologist who specializes in management and conservation of endangered species. I'm passionate about exploring the natural world and connecting people with nature through fiber and science. Please never cook using any of your dye equipment and always store your plants, lichens and mushrooms safely.Warning: please use good ventilation when dyeing with this plant as it can be toxic.

[@icedteacatfish]

thank you !

[@jhughs456]

Last week I bought a big pot on sale because it was past flowering, but i deadheaded it and dropped the waste into a pot with a splash of ammonia. I can’t believe how much color I got out of it! And now it looks like I’ll get another flush of flowers too!!

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Sweet! You hit the jackpot. Coreopsis was definitely the big surprise of the summer. It’s easy to get a little tired of the yellows in natural dyeing so to get the luminous bright oranges felt like a real gift. Woohoo!

[@elinordrake9716]

Great video! I love how you put so much detail in each step of the process! I am definitely going to get a pair of those gloves, they look like a boon if you are feeling impatient! :)

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Definitely worth it! I use them in my workshops as well for helping ring out the paint bags. It helps people to know they can dye without thinking they may get burned. I need to get a few more pairs though.

[@cghall74]

Great video! I have some in my garden, can't wait to try it out. Thank you so much!

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Thanks so much!!!

[@AnimeShinigami13]

got a good batch of bunny fur from my dear angora bunny Rukia, spinning it up and I'm gonna steep the petals in the window and slowly add more and more over time. I'm growing a strain of C. Tinctorum bred to be almost solid red but I don't think they're going to bloom this year.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Wow!!! You are life goals! This all sounds amazing. I’ve never even come close to a red from Coreopsis. What’s your secret? Is it the specific strain? So cool!

[@AnimeShinigami13]

@@WildcraftDyeing I just got the specific strain loooooooool. haven't had it long enough to get a harvest. it came from Hudson Valley Seed Company, which also sells Japanese Indigo seeds. You'll know you've found them when they sell "art packs" aka different painting seed packets, each a print of a work of art themed around that plant. I'm not an expert, just driven. I've been experimenting with washing soda in my dyes. I got a rusty red orange and a bunch of pinks from sweet woodruff roots by the way. I used too much salt on the second exhaust and it shifted from fading peachy pinks to that rusty red orange color. Never seen anything like it. Woodruff is in the same family as madder btw. Gather older roots for more dye.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

@AnimeShinigami13 interesting! Is sweet woodruff related to common bedstraw/cleavers/Galium aparine? That’s also related to madder but gives reds into the coral pinks. 🤔

[@melanieschmiedicke5114]

Great video, thank you! Amazing what a range of colors you can get with one flower!! Do you know if you can dye wool roving, before it’s spun?

[@WildcraftDyeing]

You can - so just be very careful with temperature changes. You want to heat slowly and then let cool over night. Temperature changes can make the roving felt and hard to spin. Also don’t want to dye yarn and roving at the same time in the same pot (ask me how I know… 🙄). The roving will often look paler than yarn but should darken as it spun. Would love to see photos if possible when you do it!

[@KerryZell]

Just was dying with coreopsis this week, such great colors. But you definitely got some I didn’t get. I can’t wait to see the video on how to use tin. That was new to me and the that maroon you got was so pretty. Great video and thanks again for spreading your knowledge.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Aww - I love doing it. Thanks so much! Tin takes a little extra prep work (basically need to mordant outdoors) and special disposal (or retention of the mordant). But yes, the colours with tin are so beautiful!

[@sewobsessedmama8851]

Thanks so much for the videos you make. I'm learning lots and would like to switch to natural dying.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Yay!!! That’s exactly why I make them. Thank you so much for the encouragement. I hope you give it a go. 💕

[@sewobsessedmama8851]

@@WildcraftDyeing I really appreciate them. Do you know of any groups that meet up in Canada? I'm part of a guild for spinning and knitting but they don't have alot of natural dye information. I'd love to learn from others in my community about foraging for dyes.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

I do! I’m also in Canadialand - over on the westcoast. Where abouts are you? 🤔

[@sewobsessedmama8851]

@@WildcraftDyeing I'm in ontario.

[@WildcraftDyeing]

Ok, so it will likely depend on what kind of natural dyeing you want to do. Mushroom dyeing is becoming quite popular and from my little digging around tonight, it seems like the Mycological Society of Toronto would be a good place to start for folks who might be able to teach that or at least might know of folks who take people out around Ontario to learn about dye mushrooms. www.myctor.org/ . In terms of excellent online natural dye workshops in Canada which have kit options, hard to beat Maiwa.com . They are excellent and highly knowledgeable.