Experiments in natural dyeing

I bought a flat of marigolds the other day to plant in amongst my veggies as a form of natural pest control. I deadheaded all the flowers before transplanting to help the little seedlings focus on putting down roots in their new homes. So then I had this:

Which I turned into this...

Marigolds are a perfect dual purpose crop, it turns out. Using alum as a mordant, I experimented with dyeing a bunch of different fibers (cotton, silk, unspun wool, Merino wool yarn)...

Mordanting...

Steeping the dyestuff (fresh marigold flowers)...

The final products, post rinsing and drying...