We have been here seven years and this is the first time I saw a mulberry tree with fruit on it! The first six years we were in drought and lived through water restrictions for all that time. This year though, we have had so much rain that everything has turned green, red, yellow and all the colour they should be.
This mulberry tree was planted on the nature strip. The fruit is free for all. They are still so sour that even the birds refuse to eat them. I just love the fresh green leaves and red berries which together remind me of a red and green quilt.
Our Greek neighbour proudly told me that he brought the tree cutting from Greece over 20 years ago. I hope he declared it at customs! We are not allowed to bring live plants into Australia without declare them.
The red and green branches would look great as a Christmas table decoration. I doubt it will last until Christmas though...
So much fruit on one tree!
I gathered some fruit that had fallen on the ground to put in a dye bath. I am sure they would be great for jam too, but for today I just dyed with them.
I laid them on a piece of kimono silk. I put another piece of white cotton over it and rolled them up together.
I had enough berries for two bundles. One bundle using kimono silk and the other bundle with linen and cotton mixed. I used the leftover berries at the bottom of the sauce pan and laid the bundles over and boiled them for about an hour.
The result is really pink! Not much difference between each piece. I quite like looking at it now! I have planned for them. I am making another bojagi cloth for DGD for her birthday in early January.
How is everyone doing this week? If you have not read the Workshop in Tsunamiland by Bryan Whitehead please do so, it's interesting to see that creative charity is just as effective as funding. A few hours of creative activity helps these people take their minds off their surroundings.
Enjoy and thanks for visiting.
Hugs Nat
25 comments:
great pink color. I like your idea of laying cotton over the silk with berries before rolling it.
The mulberry trees are really full. Love the photos. Never thought of using them to dye fabrics. Around here we take those trees out as fast as they are spotted growing. It is so messy with the birds & then they get drunk & fly into everything, including windows.
Have a beautiful weekend.
TTFN ~
Hugs,
Marydon
Those berries make fabulous jam...beautiful colours Nat...Wow, 7 years flies doesn't it!!! Have a fun weekend!!!
I have seen Mulberry trees before, but never with fruit on them. What wonderful colors, and perfect for dying.
Ha!!! I was wondering if you would be using them for dying!!! The color is really luscious. Isn't it amazing what a little water will do for a plant? It is so loaded with fruit.
What a beautiful tree! I've never seen it before!
And the colour pink you made by it, is truly fabulous!
Love to you, and a big hug, Ria.
Wow, that's some gorgeous fruit and color!
Is dyeing with fruit color-fast?
gorgeous colour Nat, is it permanent? have you washed it yet?
What a beautiful tree Nat! And your dyeing is lovely too - gorgeous pinks.
Dot x
Thanks for sharing that! What a beautiful color it makes!!
That is so sweet that the neighbours share the tree! I tried a similar thing in Arizona with Mulberries from a tree near my house. It was gorgeous but all washed out as I forgot to mordant the fabric. your photos are all beautiful!
Wow...what berries and what color! We have fruit-LESS mulberry trees here, so I have never seen all the glorious fruit. Here they are all about the preschool teachers gathering their leaves for classroom silkworms! I think that second photo would make a great holiday card!
I love the term 'nature strip'...every place that is built up should have lots of those :)
Woo hoo! What a tree! What a colour
Mulberry trees are not common in this area but I saw one last Summer in Chianti. It was loaded with fruit but I never thought of taking those fruit and dye with them.
I haven't yet the passion of dyeing, natural or not, but I am sure it will come once I will start during the Japan Tour.
What a beautiful pink/mauve-y color. And yes the tree does look like an antique red/green quilt. Lovely.
What a beautiful colour, I had no idea mulberries looked like this!
wow!! i love these pinks!
I've used mulberry to dye wool. Seems to like silk much more. You got such strong colors. Like it
I don't know anyone who made Mulberry jam and got it to set. I do remember syrup on ice cream and cordial syrup.
that is some bright PINK, it is very strong and should be fast if you mordanted it, did you use alum. we will have to take baggies to Japan and get Blandina addicted.
Hello Nat,
Wow the colour turned out really strong. How are your hands? I could stand underneath that tree and devour them.
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
Love that color! Once I innocently made a mulberry pie--it looked great but the sort of extended interior stems mulberries have made it inedible. I'm going to try dyeing with mulberries next time they're in season. Thanks for showing your experiments.
best, nadia
My friend has a huge mulberry tree, it still amazes me that berries grow on a tree. The colour is very nice on the cloth.
What a great colour Nat !
In the house before this one we had a black mulberry tree. For a long time I didn't really know, although I planted it myself, that it got these wonderful sweet blĂĄck fruit .... nĂłt as much as this tree though !
Wasn't into dyeing then .... ;-)
Nat, the mulberries are so beautiful, they look like they'd be delicious, too bad about that. But that lovely rich pink makes up for their taste! I read the posting, thanks. xo
beautiful,But .Where mulberry tree ? city? contry?
thank you..
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