The Bloom Archive
Notes, experiments, and secrets from the Flora Obscura atelier…
Welcome to The Bloom Archive, a quiet corner of the Flora Obscura atelier where petals meet silk, leaves whisper color, and every bundle is an experiment in nature’s palette.
Here, I share my studio diary — the discoveries, tiny secrets, and delicate surprises that come from botanical printing, natural dyeing, and silk alchemy. From ephemeral blooms to unexpected pigments, each post is a step into the collaboration between hand, plant, and fiber.
Whether you are an aspiring natural dyer, a collector of rare silks, or simply enchanted by the hidden language of flowers, this journal invites you to witness and learn from the gentle magic of color unfolding.
A Quick Guide to Mordanting Fabric for Botanical Printing and Natural Dyeing
How to prepare silk for natural dyeing and botanical contact printing— a simple and efficient alum mordant.
Seven Unexpected Flowers That Print Like a Dream
Explore the alchemy of botanical printing: the unexpected blooms that leave pigment, poetry, and memory on silk.
Printing Red with Eucalyptus Leaves
Eucalyptus leaves hold a quiet kind of magic — when steamed into silk and wool, they release shades of rust, rose, and deep red. This natural dye process is part science, part alchemy, revealing the hidden colors of the plant world. In this post, I share how to coax those reds from eucalyptus and bring the warmth of nature into cloth.
The Beauty of Botanical Sleep
For centuries, silk has been cherished as the most skin-friendly fiber — a natural protein filament spun by silkworms, almost identical to human hair in composition. Its smooth surface minimizes friction, helping to prevent sleep creases and protect delicate hair from breakage.