Natural Dyeing 101
Top 12 Must-Knows
Natural dyes will only take to natural fibers (cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, wool, silk, etc.)
There are a variety of plants (and even a few bugs) that have dye properties that will bond to the natural fibers for long-lasting colors
Not all plants that give color are natural dyes. Some are “stains”. For example, red wine, beets, red cabbage are stains, but not dyes.. Meaning they’ll fade excessively from a vibrant color to a clothes stain
Always pre-wet your fabrics before mordanting or dyeing. It helps facilitate the uptake of dye.
Water acts as the color white. The more water you add to your dyebath, the lighter the shade of your piece will be.
Natural fibers need to be pre-treated so the natural dyes will bond and stand the test of time
Depending on the category of the natural fiber, they will need to be treated for natural dyes differently
The two major categories are “plant fibers” (cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, etc.) and “protein/animal fibers” (wool, silk)
First, they need to be scoured to remove any sizing, waxes, dirt, and oils from the fibers
Second, they need to be mordanted which typically consists of heating the fibers with a specific amount of “alum” (depending on the weight of fiber there is a percentage you use)
Mordanting creates a way for the dyes to adhere to the fibers and create long-lasting color on the fiber
Once the fibers are properly scoured and mordanted, they are ready to be dyed
Have fun and learn from each step of the way!
Happy Dyeing,
Ashley
A Note on Safety
It is best to do all of your natural dyeing outside or in a well-ventilated area.
In this course, I will focus on food-safe dyes and mordants. However, please be careful and research dyestuffs not mentioned in this course before you use them.
**Remember: Just because something is natural doesn’t automatically make it safe, there are plenty of natural poisons
A Dye Journal
Many natural dyers swear by keeping a dye journal to record and keep track of their dye processes. I kept a dye journal at the beginning of my natural dye journey, but found it just wasn’t my style. I find it gets in the way of my creative process to stop and take notes along the way. I typically am not trying to duplicate my designs either (which is a benefit of taking detailed notes), I am always interested in experimenting and seeing what comes out of my next idea.
That being said, I am definitely in the minority of natural dyers who don’t keep a dye journal. Most do and find it incredibly helpful and necessary. Please do what works best for you. I just always want to give permission to not have to do things the “official/proper” way.
1) Scouring Fibers
The “Proper Way”: measure out detergent and soda ash for WOF percentage
Cellulose Fiber: Throw them in the washer with Synthrapol and soda ash on the hottest/longest setting you have. I use the “sanitize” cycle on my washer.
Protein Fiber: You do have to be more careful with protein fibers. I’ve found silk is hardier than wool. Wool truly does felt easily so you have to be careful with it when it’s hot/warm and wet.
2) Mordanting
Mordanting is often the most intimidating part of natural dyeing for people. I am going to try to make it as simple as I can, but please let me know if you have any questions/it’s confusing!
The “Proper Way” to mordant is to weigh fabric and measure out mordant material for Weight of Fiber (WOF %) and it’s pretty complicated.
The thing about mordanting is you can’t over mordant, only under mordant. So Typically I don’t measure... I just put a bunch of alum in.
I use food-grade pickling alum (like McCormick). Alum is a food preservative and it also preserves the natural dye color on clothes.
This is a step I would do without kids if possible. If you need to do the mordanting step with kids, look at the “Soy Milk Protein Binder” method as that is completely kid/food-safe.
You can also skip the pre-mordanting step and just add it directly to the dyepot if you choose.
I am going to make a separate guide for easy mordanting as well!
3) Soy Milk
Soy Milk: Great for kids!! Not a mordant, but a protein binder. I have found this doesn’t give quite the same vibrancy of colors, but is a great option when doing the whole process with kids
Soak your fabrics in soy milk for 6-24+ hours. Then wring dry and let cure. Wait at least 24 hours to use your fabric, but the longer you wait (weeks even months) the more effective the soymilk will be as it cures.
You can use store-bought soy milk or make your own.
4) The fun part… dyeing!
The best materials to dye with with kids are materials you can find in nature.
The best way to start is to collect these materials and simmer them in a pot for 1-2 hrs until the dye is extracted. Once the pot is deep in color, strain out the materials and you have yourself a dyepot!
I often just keep the materials in the pot with the fibers and it can give a cool tie-dye effect. Just know if you keep the dyestuffs in the pot you won’t get a very even color.
Here’s a list of some materials you can forage for with kids for dyeing (some I’ve had the best luck with):
*Remember: Be careful as you are identifying plants to make sure they’re the ones you’re looking for!
Trees:
oak: you can dye with all parts of the oak tree
acorns, leaves, bark
maple leaves
sycamore leaves
pine needles
pine cones
pecans
black walnut
leaves and husks
sumac
berries and leaves
Kitchen:
black beans
onion skins
pomegranate peel
turmeric
avocado
skins and pits
black tea
carrot tops
Flowers:
goldenrod
cosmos
marigolds
nasturtiums
black eyed susans
coreopsis
hibiscus
red rose petals
