Rust-dyeing experiments

Last weekend, I tried my first experiment with rust-dyeing, but the results were disappointing -- hardly any rust! So I washed the fabric and put aside the metal objects. I looked at the metal on Friday and realized it had grown some rust! So I put everything together again - dampened fabric, metal objects, salt, vinegar... even put a heavy object on top to increase contact between the metal and the fabric. About 18 hours later, here is what I have so far:

As you can see from the second shot, the chain wins the rust award! Everything else is just incidental, but I have put the objects in a container with water, vinegar and salt in the hope they will grow even rustier. I was really hoping for more from the chicken wire, and may try wrapping fabric around a pvc pipe and wrapping the chicken wire around that. Meanwhile, the fabric has been wrapped shibori-style around a rusty piece of rebar in the hopes I can do even more! Stay tuned for updates.

Meanwhile, I went on a leaf-hunt in the yard, and came up with several specimens I plan to use for screening on fabric later:

Some of these are from cultivated plants, but several are wild. I can't wait to see how they screen!