Dyeing with marigolds

In addition to indigo dyeing, Ishiteshiro Clothing Store also uses plant dyeing.

In addition to our beloved grey dyed with iron mordant from chestnut burrs, we are experimenting with various options to add a new main colour.

There are many different plants around me, and I have been able to dye them all different colors and make colorful clothes.

However, I would like to decide on a central color soon and make a strong statement.

There are plenty of chestnuts around me, and I like the grey colour that the chestnut burrs give off, so I plan to continue going out to collect chestnuts and use them to dye things.

And I'm also thinking about releasing another one, khaki, with marigold.

Marigolds have long been planted in indigo fields as pyrethrum, and many people in the village also grow them, so I think they will create a color that is characteristic of Itoshiro.

The marigolds that I collected seeds and grew from seedlings have taken root very well, are producing lush leaves, and are blooming profusely with flowers one after another.

At first I thought it would be a shame to pick the flowers, but they are very hardy flowers that continue to bloom for longer after picking, continuing to bloom from summer through to autumn.

The dye it produces is yellow, and as its name suggests, it is much more vivid, beautiful and brilliant than the yellow produced by other plants.

I am currently growing flowers with the hope of dyeing them this fall, hoping to release them next year. (Just like with indigo dyeing, we let the fabric sit for about a year after dyeing to reduce color fading.)

I pick beautiful, fragrant flowers every day, excited about the autumn dyeing season.