Miss Anthropic Principle

Dyeing project 2026 | sunburst lichen and fabic

After experimenting with water proved a failed first attempt, I tried using ammonia which worked on a little scrap of fabric. I didn't use alum so I'm assuming the dye isn't fast but it turned out to be very pretty. I'm assuming it's more of a dark purple as bits of bark altered the color. Here's a scan:

Third time's a charm! On June 28th I stared soaking the fabric in ammonia (after leaving it in alum for a week or so) .

Here it is on July 7th, pretty much the color it ended up being.

As for the lichen I used, I'm assuming it is Pin-cushion Sunburst Lichen (Polycauliona polycarpa), formerly classified as Xanthoria polycarpa. However, it could be Maritime Sunburst lichen (Xanthoria parietina) which isn't as likely. Or it could be poplar sunburst lichen (Gallowayella hasseana). In any case, it's a sunburst lichen that grows in the upper midwest of the US.

I emptied out the bottle last night and oh man ammonia is strong; I could smell a bit of it through my N95 mask. (Yes, I wore surgical gloves.)

Final result! This picture does not capture the vibrancy of the fabric.