Continuing Eco-Dyeing.

 Having used iron as a mordant the last time that I tried eco-dyeing, I wanted to see what the addition of copper would do the  colours that I got this time.  I couldn't find any old bits of copper pipe lying around so I went to the local 'Trash & Treasure' market and found these 2 little copper pots. It seems a shame to wreck them in a boiling dye bath, but they were very inexpensive and I ended up using only the small one.

 First to be wrapped up were these narrow leaf Peppermint Gum leaves which had blown down during a very windy week. Some were dryish and some quite fresh.

 The colour of these dried native Hibiscus flowers is quite intense but I know I won't get that colour from the boiling.  It was interesting to note that the ends of the fresh stalks immediately stained the cotton green, but again I don't expect that it will last.

 I ran out of the purple Hibiscus flowers so added a few sprigs of mauve Spur-Flower, a kind of Plectranthus I think.

Here is the little copper pot in the middle of the dye pot before I added the liquid.

You can just see the green marks on the white bundle in the middle made by the Hibiscus stalks.

The big dark bundle at the back is one containing bits of bark that I started to dye in the iron mordant last time but decided that I didn't have room for it. I hope that it doesn't have too much iron in it to allow the copper to work.