Anthemis tinctoria We really like this magic herb, even though our
photos of it never come out right! It is cheerful, tough, smells
good, and is useful. A native of Europe and the Near East, dyer's
chamomile has been used for dyeing fiber for thousands of years. It
provides the yellow and buff in Turkish
carpets, but it wasn't a common dye in England; they used weld
instead,
which is more lightfast, although the yellow produced by dyer's
chamomile is thought to be a warmer color. The flowers make yellow and
the leaves a light
green; a mordant is needed for dyeing (alum for yellow and chrome
for gold).
The flowers are typically dried to store for later use but they can
also be frozen with no ill effects to their dyeing properties. Magically, this is a Jupiter herb--it tends to take up a lot of room,
it's aromatic, it's bright yellow and makes a yellow dye, and it's
bitter in taste. This is a good plant for experimentation in terms of
utilizing the dye it produces magically, for instance, in coloring
handmade paper for talismans and so forth. One could also try the leaves
as a repellent of pestiferous spirits. We carry the Kelway variety of
dyer's chamomile, as the flowers are more golden, which is better
for dyeing. |
Anthemis tinctoria
Dyes Other dye plants: © 2008-2024 Alchemy Works; No reproduction without permission. |