4:10 pm - 06/08/2012
Hey all, what are your experiences with fabric dyes based on kitchen ingredients? So far, I've only tried turmeric and it turned out great. But I did some searching and it seems that other substances (beets, spinach, red cabbage) do not come out so well - they apparently are very faint, wash out easily, or fade in the sun. I'd like to try plum peel.
beetroot (beet)
blackberries
Blackberry dyed fabrics, layered and the stitching started
turmeric
I also did some with crushed wild cherries, but I can't find the pictures. My recollection is that the colours were in the same range as the blackberry, but paler. Oh and I tried red onions skins but that was rubbish.
Edited at 2012-06-08 08:31 pm (UTC)
Two bits stand out in my mind. First, the mordant varies widely by dye. IE the chemical that helps the color stick to the fabric is different depending on the kind of plant material you're using. Second, polyester won't retain color, different natural fibers retain it to different levels, and some fibers need two different mordants.
Dying is one of those times we need to remember that "natural" doesn't necessarily mean "nontoxic"... says the worrywort.