4. BioChromes¶

Research¶

Pays'Âges¶

Pays'Âges is above all a participative project created by Etienne Dorian in France. He invited the inhabitants to learn the techniques of vegetable dyeing and tufting from the artist, and then to participate weekly in the collective realization of the work that lit their territory. The project includes a new version thirty years later. The sets of tree carpets will testify to the evolution of territories as well as the ecological and societal issues that are at stake there. Aurélia Wolff, creator of Whole in Paris, researched dyes and produced approximately 20kg of cwhool per piece. The tufting has been made in La Manufacture des Gobelins in Paris.

Tapestry-testimony of Pointe Guilben

images and video: Pays'Âges, Etienne Dorian

Keys

Residence at the Abbey of Beauport (Paimpol-France)
36 committed inhabitants
1088 hours of production including 683 hours of tufting
20kg of local wool = 70km of yarn
18 colorful shades of Breton tinctorial plants
Wool from the Monts d'Arrée, Breton-Norman linen, local dye plants (rediscovered from dyers, madder, reseda, chestnut, rhubar ...), natural latex
3950 x 2400 x 100 mm

Jehanne Paternoste¶

Jehanne Paternoste is a Belgian artist who works on thread archaeology. The artist traverses the layers of time thanks to the collection of these textile dusts that carry within them the trace of man’s hand: sheep breeding, yarn manufacturing, dyeing, and implementation on the loom by the weaver.

Restaurer-conserver, 2021 Conservation box, restoration yarn waste from all eras

"Fragments de paysage", 2023 Detail, Waste of felted restoration yarn

Jehanne Paternoste

Ressources¶

Artisan and formations¶

Herboristerie¶

Desmecht herbalist

Tapistry¶

Artistes¶

Etienne Dorian

Clothes¶

Billynou

Harvest in the neighborhood¶

The lower part of the city was known for its marshes. The Momm Teinturie was located near numerous rushes and streams. The names of the streets, dyers, stained glass windows, evenings, and families... show well that this part of the city was oriented towards textile production and other manufactures.

We, Carmen, Claire, Stephanie and I, went for a walk near Greenfabric to collect autumn plants.

Our Fablab GREENFABRIC
Wild plants in fences (nettles, Marigold…)
Plantations by the municipality of autochthonous species (Arvest, Marrigold...)
Space for planting tinctorial plants Kaleidogarden managed by Sylvie lechat https://parcours1190.be/sylvie-lechat/
Space for planting tinctorial plants in stainless steel pots in a family quatier, managed by Sylvie Lechat
Old dyestuff Momm

Results¶

We cut all harvest in pieces with cisors and weigh on a precision balance. We let them dry one night.

Tools¶

Small pot
Larger stainless steel pot
Large beaker with spout
Small and large stainless steel bowls
Wooden spoons
Wooden stick
Small precision balance
Stainless steel whip
Small ladle
Glass or plastic petri dishes
Tea towels
Fabric filters and coffee filters
Scissors
Hobs
Dehydrator
Clothes dryer

Mordancy¶

We decided to work as a team to test many tintorial plants collected around the Fablab. For the mordancy, we chose the wool of Claire (sheep from the southwest of France) and samples of mixed-race (cotton/linen) jacquard from VERILIN in Belgium.

Textile cotton/linen¶

Wash 90° long cycle
Organic detergent + 1 cc of soda crystals
Soaking in hot water with 100g of Alun and 20g of Cream of tartar during 1 night

Whool¶

Mordancy made by Claire with her whool. - Wash with Marseille soap gradually increasing the water temperature to avoid thermal shock - Soaking in water max 40° with 20% of the weight of the whool in Alun during 1 night and lets it cooler down.

Testing¶

Here is our first test with Stephanie whith red oinons. Use dry ingredients, or double the weight. We put 8 petri dishes and use a painting tape to write additionnal ingredients.

In a small saucepan, boil the peelings for about 1 hour
pour a small ladle of the deposit into the petri dishes
add 2 pinches of modifier ingredients with bamboo stick, alun, Cream of Tartar, Citric acid, iron sulfate, tannin, epson salt, borax…
stir to obtain a homogeneous mixture
Soak the samples with wool and fabric previously etched and moistened
Dry the samples on a dryer or in a deshydrator

After that you can chose the color you want to dye larger piece of fabric or whool. Keep all information in a note book.

Dyeing¶

We tested many plants from our home and the Neem tree and Logwood. We selected few of them and use our preparations already done. We pour the preparation into larger stainless steel pot to obtain a homogeneous dye, add additional ingredients. To make a good dyeing, Use 1 part of dry ingredient for 2 parts of fabric (exepted power from the industry)

ingredients

a big handful of bamboo leaves
2 tablespoons of borax
100 gr fabric

ingredients

a big handful of Marigold dry flowers
2 tablespoons of acid citric
100 gr fabric

ingredients

a big handful of red Alder Catkins
2 tablespoons of borax
100 gr fabric

ingredients

a big handful of sage leaves
2 tablespoons of Cream Tartar
100 gr fabric

ingredients

a big handful of sage leaves
2 tablespoons of Iron sulfate
100 gr fabric

Improvment

Our selection was too broad, and we failed to weigh our ingredients accurately. Take your time to write all your quantities and times methodically. Let infuse the cold preparation 1 night. Use clean tools, don't mix them, it stains! Wool and silk are good dyeing materials, the color are more intense.

And more...¶

Ink¶

150 ml of Red asper catkins dyed
5 teaspoon of gum agar aguar

We left the decoction to reduce, then poured and stirred the diluted gum agar aguar in hot water, leaving it on the heat for 20 minutes.

results

The mixture is too viscous; we made a mistake with the ingredient. Guar gum is not identical to gum Arabic. This ink can be used in screen printing or stamps. It must be kept in the refrigerator and cannot be kept for more than a few days.

300 ml of Logwood tree dyed
2 teaspoon of gum Arabic

We left the decoction to reduce, then poured and stirred the diluted gum Arabic in hot water, leaving it on the heat for 20 minutes.

results

The mixture is still too viscous. The ink doesn't get in the paper. The color is very pale also.

Pigment¶

300 ml of dyed Marigold
100 g of Alun diluted in a little warm water
20g of Baking soda

We left the decoction to reduce by half, poured into a large echer filtering it with a piece of tissue. Pour Alun, then little by little, baking soda, mixed with a whisk (the pan with your hands around the handle). When the mixture is homogeneous, let it settle for 4 hours. Filter again with a finer mesh fabric, and let it dry completely. Collect the dry residues in a mortar, grind them, and place them in a box.

results

The color is very pale. I have't try it yet…

Indigo¶

Use non mordancy textiles. We tried with linen fabric fron VERILIN.

I made a shibori by folding and binding the textile with cotton yarn.

Open the indigo vat prepared with commercial indigo, added with lime and fructose. A polystyrene plate prevents contact with air to prevent oxidation.
Stir the indigo with a long stick without making too much movement.
Moisten textiles for better color diffusion
Soak the textiles entirely for 2 minutes
Gently wring them out, then rinse them with water and expose them to air to oxidize the dye.

Repeat 4 & 5 for 5 minutes of soaking, and 10 minutes. I opened the ball and it's the surprise ! Let's dry it.

Reveal!¶

Images and drawings: Annabel Fournier unless otherwise stated

Engrengraving: Larousse agricole Chancrin et Dumont, 1921