Cranbury Arts Council

Lisa Walsh

The Art of Natural Dyes:

Supplies for the participants, if they want to follow along, or watch and then do the dying, are as follows:

MAKE ONE BATCH OF Turmeric DYE: (Recipes below. Later you can experiment with other recipes.)

 

2 oz. ground Turmeric (from spice aisle at grocery store)

1 Cup Kosher salt (must be kosher and can NOT contain Iodine)

100% cotton, white fabric, at least 1/2 yard, laundered or a clean white t-shirt, or a few flour sack cotton dishtowels.

String or elastic bands for tying fabric

1 cup white vinegar or additional cup of kosher salt

 

Have available at home:

a non-reactive pot and spoon to cook dye in

A stove or hot plate to heat dye

an iron

rubber gloves

paper towels

newspaper or cloth to cover surfaces (as dye will stain)

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Here’s the basic process in a nutshell, with details on the following pages:

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• Use only 100% cotton fabric that has been pre-washed and dried.

• Soak fabric in a mordant for approx. 1 hour.

• Always place damp fabric in a dye solution. 

• Always mix everything in a non-reactive pan or bucket.

• Fold or tie your fabric in any Shibori technique or simply place in the dye bath flat, and submerge in dye and simmer for 1 - 3 hours, stirring it occasionally to get an even dye color. You may leave the fabric overnight in the dyes.

• Rinse and let dry. Iron, or toss in the dryer to heat set the colors. Remember that these colors are delicate. Don’t dry them in the sun, and try to limit their exposure to the sun. Use them to make items that have light use and less laundering, and know that you will not be passing them on to your grandchildren, as they are ephemeral, growing paler over time

• Dyes can be refrigerated and used again until they start to look or smell funky.

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RECIPES

 

Mordant:

• A mordant is required for your fabric to rough up the surface and prepare it to absorb the dye. There are several things that can be used

• You will need to soak your fabric for 1 hour in any of the following:

• 1 gallon water with any of the following:

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• 1/4 cup soda ash (purchased at Michael’s or on line at Dharma Trading)

• *2 cups kosher salt mixed with 1 gallon water and heated to simmering

• *2 cups distilled white vinegar with 1 gal. water and heated to simmering

• Rusty water made by soaking anything rustable or already rusty in 2 cups water and 1 cup vinegar for 5-7 days. Steel wool rusts quickly. Strain out rusty items, add 1 gallon water.

• OR soak fabric in 1 gallon soy milk

• Rinse, and while damp, place in your dye bath.

• *These are my most commonly used mordants. Easy to find and safe.

 

Dye Recipes:

Combine ingredients, simmer for 1- 2 hours, let sit overnight, off heat, with the plant material in the dye, then pour through a sieve prior to putting on to simmer while you are dying.

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Turmeric (gives a golden yellow, sometimes rust color)

2 oz. powdered Turmeric or 1 cup of Turmeric Root chopped

1 cup kosher salt

2 quarts water  
 

Avocado Pits (gives a soft coral)

5- 6 pits, chopped (If you simmer them for a while, they will be easier to chop)

1 cup kosher salt

1 gallon water  
 

Spinach (bright green) NOTE!!! This does not get heated. 

 

8 cups spinach pureed in a blender or food processor with 1 cup water.

1 cup kosher salt

another 1-2 cups water to make a soupy mix.

Place this in a bowl or zip-lock bag and mix with your hands to press the dye into the fabric. Leave the fabric in the dye overnight.
 

Fruits or Berries, including Poke Weed Berries

1 lb. fruit or berries (add more for more intense color)

1 cup kosher salt

1 gallon water
 

Cabbage (gives varying shades of purple/blue/pink depending on the PH)

I head purple cabbage chopped in chunks

2 cups kosher salt

1 gallon water

You can divide this dye up and add 1 Tablespoon baking soda to get a pink dye, or 1/4 cup vinegar to get a green dye.
 

Beets or dried hibiscus blossoms (gives a pale fuchsia)

1 pound beets or 2 cups dried hibiscus blossoms

1 cup kosher salt

1 gallon water
 

Black Bean (gives lavender/blue/grey color)

1 lb. dried black beans

2 quarts water

1 cup kosher salt

Bring to boil the beans and the water. Turn off heat and let sit overnight. Drain beans and save the broth. This is your dye. Add the salt and bring to a simmer prior to dying. (The beans can be transferred to another pot and covered with plenty of fresh water and simmered for 1-3 hours or until soft and added to soup or chili or made into rice and beans. Basically, you’ve presoaked some beans overnight, which is the normal first step to cooking dried beans!)

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Every other color in the world! Experiment with other materials, such as acorns, tree bark, onion skins, lichen, spices and other plants and flowers and see what you come up with! Send photos when you get something wonderful!!

(Dry flower blossoms for 3 weeks before making dyes.) Most of all…have fun and experiment.

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Trompe L'oiel class:

1 piece of Mat board or foam core, 12" x 12"

Acrylic paints (small tubes)

Raw umber 

Burnt Umber

Yellow Ochre

Titanium white

Ultramarine Blue