Tie-Dye, Silk, And The Elegance of Raw Flowers: A Colorful Journey

Tie-Dye, Silk, and the Elegance of Raw Flowers: A Colorful Journey

Tie-dye, silk "raw" flowers

Tie-dye, silk, and raw flowers are all connected to people's understanding of color.

This connection can be traced back to the beauty of flowers and plants. In the Neolithic Age, people learned that they could extract dyes by soaking roots, stems, leaves, and fruit skins in warm water. This process, called "vegetation dying," was discovered in wildflowers and fruits across mountains.

【tie zā dye rǎn 】

Among the Chinese folk, this traditional

and unique dyeing process is known as "tie zā dye rǎn." Tie-dyeing is a process that involves partially tying fabric during dyeing to create unique patterns.

If you use natural plant dyes for the fabric, it will have a natural color that remains unchanged. Combining plant dyeing and tie-dyeing leads to even more beautiful possibilities.

Tie-dyeing rose to popularity during the Tang Dynasty, and it became fashionable for nobles to wear xié clothing (another name for tie-dye). Similar to popular fashion brands today, tie-dye was also a popular craft during the Northern Song Dynasty. But due to its laborious production process, the court eventually prohibited it, leading to the decline and disappearance of the craft. Fortunately, relics of the craft still remain, as ethnic minorities in the southwest region of our country still possess this ancient skill.

Tie-dye craft is practiced in other countries besides China, such as India, Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. During the 1970s, tie-dyeing became widely popular and was used for clothing and home decor

[Tie-dyeing of grass and trees]

Natural tie-dyeing with plants and trees is an environmentally friendly way to dye fabrics using raw materials sourced from Chinese herbal medicines, trees, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. The delight of this craft is choosing "dyes" based on the different seasons and climates. Plant dyeing is a great way to add vitality to fabric by using natural, everyday colors from vegetation. When the fabric is dyed, the plant fragrance emitted during the boiling process is also captivating. Additionally, the color and quality of the dye remain consistent over time.

This dyeing method showcases the natural, calm, soft, and stable temperament of plants.

Plant tie-dying involves more than just boiling dyes. It requires creativity and the use of a variety of tools, such as rubber bands, cotton threads, clips, wooden sticks, and stones, to tie fabrics in unique ways and create different patterns. This results in each piece of tie-dyed work being one-of-a-kind.