Strong Brew – Willow Leaf Dye

Through what seemed to be an endless winter here in northern Wisconsin, there was a five gallon bucket sitting outside my studio. It’s been slowly brewing dye, and it turned out to be a strong brew.

In late October, I packed the bucket with willow leaves and filled it with water. It froze, pushing the leaves up above the rim. It was covered with snow, and eventually the snow melted.

On Monday, I finally got around to checking on the bucket. I pulled out most of the leaves, then strained the liquid.

In case you’re wondering, it smells nice — kind of like very strong black tea, which is also what it looks like.

I popped some silk scarf bundles into a bath of the willow leaf brew. They should be ready to open in a few days.

I put those willow leaves back in the bucket, filled it with water, and have it sitting outside the studio again. As the weather warms up, we’ll see if I can get another dyebath (or two) with good color and a pleasant fragrance before it starts to stink.