The Colors of Nature β Using Natural Dyes
By eCountryLifestyle Staff Writer
As you will know if you have ever dropped a slice of beetroot on your clothes, nature makes some very strong dyes.
If you want to give your crafts or fiber work a very unique look, dyeing with natural dyes can give you a whole rainbow of colors.
You need some preparation before get started. The best water to use is rainwater, as it is softer than tap water. If you can’t get rain water, then add softener to tap water before you start.
You need a good sized steel pot, a strainer, a wooden stirrer and a measuring cup. You will also need rubber gloves to stop your hands from getting stained and a big apron.
You will need a mordant to fix the dye. You can get aluminum potassium sulfate (alum) from craft dyeing suppliers like Earthhue, or you can use salt or vinegar.
You can also dye raw materials like wool fleece or unbleached cotton, or the finished piece when you have made it..
Make your dye bath by putting your natural plant materials in the steel pot. Cover with water and simmer. The length of time you `cook’ the natural materials will vary, as some plants release their color quicker than other. But the average time to simmer is at least one hour.
While you are making the dye, soak your fabric or wool in the mordant. If you are using alum, follow the instructions to make up a sufficient amount. If you are using salt, make up a saline solution of one part salt to one part warm water. Let the salt dissolve and add seven times more water. This works very well with berry dyes such as mulberry and blueberry.
For other types of plants, such as onions, flower heads and leaves, make up a mordant of 1 part vinegar to four parts cold water. Don’t worry, the smell rinses out!
When the dye is prepared, remove the fiber from the mordant, squeeze out the excess and place it in the dye. Bring the mixture back to the boil, and simmer for an hour. When the liquid has cooled, remove the dyed fabric and rinse until the water runs clear.
For reds, use beetroot, red onion skins, coreopsis (a daisy like flower), and madder (a plant used for red dye since ancient times).
Blue can be obtained from blueberries, of course, but also from the indigo plant. For purple, use mulberries.
For orange to yellow, use marigolds, yellow onion skins, dandelions and Queen Anne’s Lace.
For greens, use parsley, the feathery tops of carrots, cabbage or spinach.
For brown, use tea leaves or brown onion skins.
As you grow more confident with using natural plants for dyeing, experiment with other plants from your garden. Try mixing plants to create your own colors.
Lavenders, herbs, flower heads, tree bark, leaves and other natural materials all create more colors in so many hues that you will never go back to chemical dyes again!
