Natural Dye and Medicinal Plant Group

This month we will investigate the herald of spring: the lowly dandelion. You may hate it in your lawn or love the message it brings that winter has finally left us for another year. The dandelion has been used medicinally for centuries and is also used in salads, as a culinary herb and to make wine and tea. As a dye plant, it produces yellows to olive greens and both the flowers and the leaves can be used. The roots supposedly will give a red color, but that seems to be an elusive result. The plant material is best used fresh so harvest as close to dye day and freeze if that is not possible. Do some research on the medicinal uses or find a recipe that uses dandelion to share with the group. As usual we will have mordanted fiber to make samples.

Looking forward to exploring color with you.