Waxflower Dyeworks

Holga film from a past photoshoot.

🥑 Avocados were my introduction into natural dyeing. I was inspired by the beautiful work of and spent last spring and summer collecting pits and skins from down the street. That led to new friendships, and some really exciting new opportunities later on.
I haven't done much with avocado dyes in the last 8 months or so - but I am really excited to be working on more garments for !!!
Avocados have become a popular starting point for aspiring natural dyers, and it's not hard to see why; The soft pastel pinks and salmon shades that can be achieved are undeniably beautiful!  Because avocados are high in tannins, the pinks will, over the years, shift to become more beige/tan/light brown as the more fugitive compounds degrade. But the pink can hold on for a while  especially when applied to protein fibers like silk, or to well mordanted cotton/cellulosic fibers.
I like to add a bit of Madder Root, Cochineal, and/or Quebracho to my avocado bath to add more colorfast pink tones!!