I unbundled these a few days after the others, and they were interesting, but not particularly exciting.

What I learned about milk mordanting is: dilute the damn milk. I used straight milk on this and after a yellow dock dye bath, a lichen dye bath, and a trip through the washing machine, milk is still coming to the surface. So much for my “straight milk will be a stronger mordant” fantasy.

Why follow directions when you can learn it all piecemeal and solo?

Also, this color isn’t interesting, next to the soy-mordanted piece, which has deeper, more vibrant color.

And there ARE leaf prints on these from the leaf steaming (ecoprint). The prints are just shadowy and hard to see because of the dark backgrounds, which is what I thought would happen.

Although, to be honest, I was hoping for a little less shadow, and a little more Jeff Goldblum.

As before, the urine-mordanted piece didn’t do much. Bummer. Which is why I abandoned straight urine mordanting—and have now switched to urine/copper! I couldn’t help myself. Urine is a most abundant type of reclaimable material. It’s bloody everywhere, and I am compelled to use it helplessly.

Cough.

I also learned—again—how much I love the unraveling edges of these hand-dyed textiles. They’re so exciting, so full of potential.

Keeping all three together, the milk and urine pieces make excellent contrast for the soy. I can see these three as one decorative element, wispy edging on a skirt, frayed ruffles on a pillow.

Even the failures lure me deeper.