Sun-dyed silk

Two stained silk dresses, some leftover SolarFast, and a garden's worth of leaves.

People
My cousin, who is getting married
Date
October 2026
Events
Sun dyeing, Thrifting, Weddings
Gadgets
SolarFast, poppies, tomato plants, ferns, the sun

Two Reformation silk dresses, a steal on The RealReal. Both stained, and on ivory silk you couldn’t miss it.

My cousin’s wedding is a formal garden party, and I had SolarFast left over. It’s a dye that only develops in sunlight. Brush it on, lay plants over it, leave it out. Where the light hits, the color comes in. Where the leaves sit, it stays pale.

I used poppies, tomato plants, and ferns. The stains are gone. The garden stayed.

Now I just have to pick one.

Before. Ivory silk, tag still on.
Before. Ivory silk, tag still on.
Dye on, plants down, out in the sun.
Dye on, plants down, out in the sun.
The halter dress under plastic, propped toward the light.
The halter dress under plastic, propped toward the light.
After.
After.
Fern fronds.
Fern fronds.

Lyndsay Donhoff

Nothing here is perfect, and that’s sort of the point. The film jumps, the light leaks, the color drifts. I think that’s where the charm hides.... in all the little ways the world refuses to be polished.

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© Lyndsay Donhoff - All Rights Reserved.