HERB - Fw: [TY] Help from Scribes,Gardeners and Dyers Needed!!

[sunshinegirl]

Forwarded from Tavern Yard...
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dee Thompson <lonemuse2 at yahoo.com>

> Greetings all-
> 
> I have a request to make of you all for the following
> information.
> 
> I am looking for a source for the seeds of the plant
> "crozophora tinctoria", known in period as the
> turnsole or tornesol.  I have also found reference to
> this plant being called heliotrope.  The problem I
> have run into is that the N. American turnsole is
> different from the European turnsole, and I can not
> find a source for the European variety that was used
> for dyeing and painting.
> I am working on building up a pallette of period
> pigments that are NON-TOXIC.  I have located a source
> for indigo and woad, but can't find a source for a
> safe red other than this turnsole plant or that red
> made with the crushed up bugs (kermes red).  I THOUGHT
> I would have more luck finding the seeds than I would
> the squished bugs but now I'm not so sure.
> I apologize for the scatterbrained-ness of this plea
> but I have been online approximatly 20 hours over the
> past 5-6 days (five hours today alone) looking for a
> source for this plant or at least a ready-made pigment
> using this plant or the squished bug and have come up
> completely empty handed.
> If anyone has any clue as to how I can find these
> seeds, or the bugs, or know another period red paint
> that is non-toxic I could use, I would be so VERY
> greatful.  At this point I am nearly ready to give up
> and not even attempt to have period pigments until my
> children are out of the house... in about thirteen
> years.
> 
> Fionnuala the Frustrated, who is going to bed with a
> sever migraine now.



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