It was also more difficult to use the iron to heat set the color into the fabric, as these kinds of fibers tend to melt at a lower temperature than natural cotton. Even using the salt/vinegar combination didn’t do much to help the clothing retain the dye. Pretty much everything came out in the wash, or faded in the sunlight in as little as a day when I hung them out on the line to dry. In my experiments, synthetic fibers like rayon and polyester didn’t take as well to the natural clothing dye. Adding a little bit of salt and/or vinegar will also help the cotton clothes to retain the color longer. These natural cotton clothes will take up more dye and will hold on to the color longer with normal wear and washing. Look for T-shirts, tank tops, or other clothing made with 100% cotton. When using beets and other vegetables for natural clothing dye, it’s always best to begin with a natural fiber item of clothing. Allow to air dry (not in the sun).Natural Clothing Dye: What Kind of Clothing Can I Use? Untie your fiber, remove plant matter, and rinse with cold tape water. Steam your fiber for 1-2 hours, then let cool completely or sit overnight for the richest color. Tightly roll your yarn or fabric into bundles, then tie tightly with a rubber band or string. Arrange your plant materials on your fiber-there are no rules here, it’s whatever you want. Lay your fabric or yarn on a clean surface. Enjoy!īundle Dyeing and Eco Printing: If you like the idea of creating an Impressionist painting out of your plants and fabric rather than a solid, all-over color, try this method for bundle dyeing and eco printing. Remove fiber from the dye pot and rinse with cold tap water.

Color tends to be brightest and most colorfast when the fiber is allowed to cool in the dye overnight. Add your yarn and fabric to the dye, adding enough water to allow the fiber to float freely. More about this below.įor immersion dyeing: Strain out all plant material until all you have left in your pot is the dye liquid. All too often, this dulls or destroys the color.įor a fun experiment, save some blooms and roots to try eco printing and bundle dyeing. Roots can be gently heated for 60-90 minutes on the stove. Blooms can be allowed to steep in a glass jar filled with water in the sun, or they can be gently heated for an hour in tap water on the stove. Immersion dyeing: After or while you mordant your fibers, it’s time to create the dye. You can gather each separately, or you can gather together. Part of the reason why dandelions are such fun dye plants is because they actually give you TWO dyes: one from the flowers, one from the roots. Soak overnight, then remove as much of the liquid as possible before air drying. You can remove the fiber at this point, squeeze out the excess liquid, and dye immediately you can also allow the fiber to cool with the water and dye after.įor plant fibers: Soak fibers in a solution of soy milk and water, with 1 part soy milk and 4 parts water.

Stirring regularly, allow the fiber to soak in the just-below-boiling water for about an hour. Heat until just below boiling, then add fiber. Measure 10% of that weight of alum and add it to your pot filled with cold tap water. For now, let’s worry most about creating colorfast, lightfast color with our mordants.įor animal fibers: Weigh fibers with your kitchen scale. Too, different mordants are used to achieve different effects on fibers. Different mordants are used for different fibers. Mordants act as a bond between the dye in the plant and the fiber.

Mordant is a fancy word to what we do to yarn and fabric before we attempt to dye them with plants. You will also need a spoon, a colander or strainer, and a kitchen scale. Stainless steel is perfect for beginners advanced dyers, feel free to play with using aluminum, copper, and iron pots. Find a dye pot that you can retire from cooking to use for your dye projects. If you chose cellulose fibers (cotton or linen), get some plain, unsweetened soy milk.ĭye pot and implements. You can find it in the spices aisle at the grocery store. If you chose animal fibers (wool or silk), make sure to have some alum on hand. Ready to take the next step in your plant-dye journey? Try a cellulose fiber, like cotton or linen. For my students who are new to plant dyeing, I like to recommend wool yarns and fabrics, as well as raw silk fabrics. Your color results and your preparation methods will vary depending on the fiber you choose. How to Dye with Dandelions: You Will Needįabric or yarn.

Dye wool with buttercup plant