Blanket Flower
Gaillardia pulchella
 
Gaillardia is native to North America and its common name, Blanket Flower, was inspired by the designs and colors of Native American weavings. Blanket Flower is a heat loving perennial that attracts butterflies and honey bees. As a dye plant, it produces purples, blues, yellow and green in bundle dyeing, and in the dye bath it creates sage green to yellow-green and khaki tans.
 
Add the flowers to the dye pot, cover with water and simmer for about one hour to extract the color. Strain off the liquid and return to the dye pot and add the fibers to the dye bath, slowly bringing the temperature up to about 180º F. Hold at temperature for about an hour, or until you are happy with the color. Let cool and leave fabric in the dye pot for up to 24 hours, until the desired color is reached. Stir occasionally. Each bag of dried flower is 28 grams and will dye 30-60 grams of fiber. Color fastness: good