Banksia Sessilis

Walking around I spotted a bunch of lifeless flowers underneath this bush. There were about 20 flowers that had lived their life and fallen naturally to the ground so I picked them up with high hopes they might not have leached all of their colour.

When I got home, I removed the petals (?) from the stems and put them in a jar with some methylated spirits and water. After a day in the sun I emptied them into a stock pot with mordanted linen and boiled them for about an hour. Then everything that fit went back in the jar and into the sun for another 2 days. 

This much heating was probably overkill but I wanted to give them the best chance possible. If I had googled the plant before attempting to dye with her I would've realised they flower a soft cream. So beautiful, but not full of stain-potential.

Pre-wash the fabric had a sweet soft pink tinge. Post wash the once-white linen has turned a very very soft beige.