#eco dye

[makinguselessthings]

Here is a little peek into my adventures with natural dye. I attempted some eco-printing with scabiosa, and some sunflower petals. The scabiosa is really stunning and works so well. I wish I wasn't so experimental and that I took more time planning a design. But I still really love the outcome. I also did a few solids with cornelian cherry and poke-weed. Also, peep my dirty basement where I dry all my flowers 😅 Its cool and creepy at the same time.

[whyhazelwhy]

Eco-dyed paper turned into a journal/notebook

[bumblebeeappletree]

Do you have blue spruce in your neighborhood? If so, grab yourself a few boughs and chop them up in your dye pot! By adding iron water to your brew, you can coax out the bluish tint from this evergreen to create gorgeous cool grays. This tutorial will show you how to identify & brew dye from a blue spruce, shift color with iron water and the resulting color swatch samples (cotton, bamboo & silk) with various mordants.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction - Blue spruce dye

1:30 Foraging for blue spruce

2:40 How to identify blue spruce

6:02 Supplies

6:42 How to make blue spruce dye

8:44 How to shift color with iron water

9:11 Color samples on cotton, bamboo & silk

10:26 Blue spruce dye wrap up

11:33 Sneak peek of next tutorial

12:48 Blooper

SUPPLY LIST

Blue spruce cuttings

Pot with lid

Measuring cup

Strainer

Spoon

Clippers

Gardening gloves

Scale

Pre-mordanted textile

Iron Water & supplies including:

Measuring spoon

Gloves

Small strainer

[kaiedwardsart]

Weaving plant dyed scraps 🌾 Frosty winter mornings with clear skies at sunrise.

[chickadeegreen]

coreopsis prints 🌼🌼

[kimkonenhandmadejournal]

Quilt Made From Natural Dyes

I have been experimenting and teaching myself how to dye fabric using plants, bugs and food. I’ve tried blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, elderberries, yellow onion, red cabbage, coffee, turmeric, black beans, cochineal, basil, avocado, black walnuts and Queen Anne’s lace. While I learned that all of these make beautifully humble colors, some are very colorfast and others fade quickly. 

In comes the alchemy. After my first experiment over the summer, I decided to take it to the next level and began preparing the fabric to hold color longer. By scouring the cotton and using an alum mordant, I was able to trust that more of the colors I created would stick to the fiber. 

I was elated when a sweet friend, whom I met while traveling to Chicago for Etsy a few years back, reached out about a custom crib size quilt. Save for the very dark gray and a few of the light gray triangles, every piece was dyed in my kitchen.

Warm Whites/Light Tan - Coffee, green basil, black walnuts. (I don’t think green basil is generally used for natural dyeing, but I thought I’d try it anyway. I got this vintage-y ivory and love it but I probably wouldn’t waste delicious basil again, rather make pesto.)

Yellows/Peaches - Yellow onion skins, turmeric, Queen Anne’s lace. 

Blues/Grays - Black beans

Pinks - Avocado pits and skins, cochineal 

Greens - Double dip-dyed in Queen Anne’s lace (yellow) then black beans (blue). 

Let’s talk about dyeing with berries - I got incredible colors using blueberries and blackberries. However, after joining a natural dye group on FB, I learned that berries don’t dye fabric, but rather stain. Elderberries - I’ll only use them to make syrup from now on. Raspberries - I’ll just eat those. 

For the bibs, I chose to buy colors from Robert Kaufman Kona Solids that complimented the quilt colors. The majority of the quilt back and all the binding are Kona Bone. 

You can learn how to dye with avocados and yellow onions and you can read about more experiments as I write about them over the next few weeks. If you’re just getting started, experiment like crazy! To make long-lasting colors, consider treating your fabric before dyeing: Preparing the Cotton. 

Follow my natural dye experiments on Instagram.  

[bumblebeeappletree]

Coffee & tea are great to use for a natural way to create brown & beige dyes for your textile and craft projects right in your kitchen. It's literally as simple as brewing a cuppa! Start collecting grounds and used tea bags instead of throwing them away for a wonderful way to repurpose food waste. This tutorial will show you how to brew dye from coffee & tea, dip dye with paper, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton, silk & bamboo) with a soy milk mordant.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction - Coffee & tea dye

2:01 Supplies

2:44 Dye 1: How to make coffee dye

5:08 Dye 2: How to make tea dye

6:56 How to prep & dip dye paper

8:39 Color samples on paper

8:44 Color samples on cotton, silk & bamboo

9:14 Wrap up

10:39 Cookin' Color Brew Booklet

11:18 Sneak peek of next tutorial

12:17 Blooper

SUPPLY LIST

Dark roast coffee grounds

Black tea, bags or loose leaf

Pot with lid

Measuring cups

Spoon

Coffee filter

Funnel

Tongs

Bowl

Mason jars

Paper - watercolor, mixed media, wet strength tissue

Alum

Measuring spoon

Flat container for paper

Textile of choice

[bumblebeeappletree]

Avocado skins & stones are a natural way to create pink & peach dyes for your textile and craft projects by using your kitchen waste. Start collecting skins & stones when you use avocado in your cooking instead of throwing them away. You can freeze both to build up your inventory while enjoying chips and guacamole! This tutorial will show you how to brew dye from the skins, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton) with a soy milk mordant.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Introduction - Avocado skin & stone dye

2:23 Supplies

2:14 How to prep the avocado

4:02 Dye 1: How to make avocado stone dye

4:51 Dye 2: How to make avocado skin dye

8:57 Color samples on cotton

9:26 Wrap up

10:46 Sneak peek of next tutorial

11:16 Blooper

SUPPLY LIST

Avocado skins & stones

Baking soda

Pot with lid

Cutting board

Knife

Spoon

Tongs

Bowl

Measuring spoon

Strainer

Mason jar