Quilting 101 - Natural Fabric Dye (Part One)

Let's go back to basics and discuss hand dyeing your own fabrics. In this three-part Quilting 101 series I'll share everything I've learnt so far and show you my results!

We've all tie dyed an old t-shirt to give it new life or aged our embroidery fabric with tea or coffee, but have you ever considered naturally dyeing fabrics as part of your quilting journey?

It's an art form that has been practiced for centuries and a satisfying way to express your creativity and add individuality to your quilts.

While it's a simple and fun practice, there's a lot of information to cover, so I've divided this topic into three Quilting 101 posts:

                                                        Part One - Natural fabric Dyes

                                                        Part Two - Mordants & Tannins (Wednesday May 15)

                                                        Part Three - Dyeing Fabric (& my results) (Wednesday May 22)

Each Wednesday I'll share everything I've learnt, and I'll show you my results in Part Three where I remade this month's Diana Mini Quilt using naturally dyed fabric.

It's going to be so much fun, so let's dye some fabric, shall we?

History of Fabric Dyeing

The history of fabric dyeing is fascinating, and it all starts in the Neolithic period (10,200 BC).  The oldest dyed textiles were found in the Dzudzuana Cave in what's now known as Georgia, dating back more than 30,000 years.

In all civilizations, vegetable and plant dyes were the most commonly used as they were easily accessible. They were procured from flowers, leaves, bark or root systems of the tree or plant. Minerals found on the earth's surface and underground also created rich vibrant colours and dyes were also created from animal sources such as insects, lichens and shellfish.

As the need to distinguish gender, class and allegiance became more notable throughout history, natural dyes were created to colour garments to visually identify the segregation - wealthy people wore brightly coloured clothes, slaves wore browns and greys. 

Tyrian purple was the most expensive dye made from the sea snails of the ancient city Tyre in the East Mediterranean. This dye was reserved for royalty, senior public officials and priests. 

By the mid 19th century, synthetic dyes were introduced, allowing garments to be mass produced at an affordable price. Naturally hand dyed fabrics are now small batch produced by artists as a form of self-expression and creativity.

Natural Dyes in Modern Life

So why dye your own fabrics?

Dyeing fabrics opens up a whole new world of brilliant colour. Not only are we being more sustainable, but we're experimenting with nature and creating delicate and beautiful hues to use in our quilting journey.

It's a fun and rewarding activity and it's where art meets science - who doesn't enjoy an experiment or two?

Hand dyed fabric stamps your own personal flair to any quilt and knowing you created these fabrics adds a special touch and a deeper connection with the project.

You'll be experimenting and creating colours unlike anything you can purchase in a quilt shop, and it gives you a renewed respect and curiosity for the world around you and the colours you can create.

What Fabric Can You Dye?

Not all fabrics are suitable for natural dyeing. Pure natural fabrics such as cotton and linen are easier to dye than synthetic fabrics. The proteins in natural fabrics act like a magnet or velcro to natural dyes, absorbing more colour and achieving the strongest and brightest hues.

The weave of the fabric also changes how the dye is absorbed - something like calico which a lovely weave, also has a coating that makes it harder for the dye to penetrate.

Hand dyeing fabrics yields different results and hues, and experimenting is where you learn and grow. The colour you achieve on a thin linen will be more vibrant than if you use the dye on a soft cotton. 

There are no mistakes, just creative licence so be prepared to play with natural fabrics and dyes and enjoy the plethora of colours you can achieve.

Preparing Fabric for Natural Dyes

Fabric needs to be prepared before using mordants (we'll discuss these in Part Two) or adding natural dyes.

There are two ways to achieve the best results:

• Machine Washing - wash fabric in warm to hot water using a pH neutral washing detergent to remove any sizing or finishes. Line dry or tumble dry.

• Scouring - bring a saucepan of water and unscented dish soap to the boil, add fabric and simmer for one hour. Let it cool and rinse with cold water. Line dry or tumble dry.

Fabrics will now be free of sizing etc., preshrunk and ready to receive either a mordant or a dye.

Natural Dyes

Let's go to the kitchen or garden for ingredients to create some beautiful colour.

You'll notice some ingredients listed are in two colour categories. The colour you achieve will vary depending on the quantity of ingredients you use, the ripeness of the fruit/flowers and which part you plant you use.

Adding either acid or alkaline to the dye will also give you unique hues and we'll discuss that in the next section.

Here are the basic colours and a list of the ingredients that create them:

• Red: Hibiscus flower, beetroot, red elderberries, sumac berries, cochineal, St John's Wort (whole plant), madder root, pomegranates, red autumn leaves, bamboo, red portulaca flowers, rose hips.

• Purple: Basil leaves, blackberries, cherry tree roots, dark purple iris blooms, elderberries, purple grapes, blueberries, mulberries, raspberries, red cabbage, red maple (inner bark), red onion skins.

• Pinks: Strawberries, cherries, pink camellia flowers, raspberries, rose petals, avocado pits.

• Yellows: Alfalfa seeds, turmeric, bay leaves, marigold flowers, sunflower petals, dandelion flowers, celery leaves, yellow crocus petals, dried daffodil flower heads, oxalis flower heads + a bit of stem, peach tree leaves, yarrow, saffron, St John's Wort flowers, brown onion skins.

• Brown: Coffee grounds, dandelion roots, juniper berries, fennel (leaves and flowers), dried fennel seeds, Hollyhock petals (any colour), ivy (twigs and stems), maple tree buds, oak acorns, tea leaves (tea bags), walnut hulls, yellow dock (leaves, flowers & seeds)

• Orange: Carrots, eucalyptus leaves, turmeric, paprika, pomegranate, brown onion skins, dandelion heads.

• Blue: Cornflower blooms, hyacinth blooms, blueberries, red cabbage, blue/purple iris blooms, blue crocus petals.

• Green: Spinach leaves, artichoke, mint leaves, Black Eyed Susan (leaves and stems), sorrel leaves, grass, chamomile leaves, foxglove flowers, lilac flowers, snapdragon flowers, tarragon (plant), tea tree flowers.

• Grey/Black: Carob pods, Black beans (dried beans), sumac leaves, Iris roots, rusty nails. 

Obviously, nature is plentiful and there are many more options. This list gives you options for each colour so you can use what you have on hand, or what you have access too. 

You'll notice that some of these ingredients will need to be sourced seasonally, and some can be foraged, grown in your own backyard or used in dry, frozen or powder form.

Acid & Alkaline - pH Modifiers

Let's talk about pH modifiers! This is simple science and a way to modify the natural colour of the dyes you create.

By adding acid modifiers such as vinegar, lime juice or citric acid to the dye you can shift colours like red towards orange, purple towards pink, and orange towards yellow.

By adding alkaline modifiers such as baking soda, baking powder, soda crystals and wood ash you can shift purples to blues, and yellows and reds to pink.

You can see in the photo above that I created a blueberry dye and in the jar on the right I added vinegar (acid) turning it pinker, and in the jar on the left I added baking soda (alkaline) turning it bluer. I used a very small sample of the original dye but hopefully it illustrates there's no limit to what colours you can create.

Tools for Fabric Dyeing

Let's take a look at the tools you'll need for dyeing fabric:

• Small electric hotplate or outdoor camp stove for dyeing outside or a stovetop and a well-ventilated kitchen.
• A large stainless-steel saucepan or stockpot.
• Stainless steel tongs.
• Mesh strainer for straining dyes.
• Large plastic bucket for soaking fabric prior to dyeing and rinsing once dyed.
• A wooden spoon or paddle.
• Measuring spoons - if using a mordant.
• Kitchen scale for weighing fabric - if using a mordant. 
• Thermometer with clip - if using a mordant.
• Rubber gloves, apron and face mask.
• Clothes airer or clothesline in the shade.
• Glass jars with lids for dye storage.
• Labels to clearly label jars.

Things to Remember:

• Making your own fabric dye is trial and error. No two batches will ever be the same so dye what you need to finish a project or embrace the slight variations between batches.

• Some ingredients contain natural tannins which allows the dye to attach to the fibres of the fabric. Other ingredients require mordants to act as a fixative - we'll discuss tannins and mordants in Part Two of this series. 

• Even though natural dyes are organic and nontoxic, every utensil you use should be reserved for dyeing purpose only. Visit the thrift shops for old pots, glass jars for dye storage and utensils and don't use them for general cooking. 

• Safety first - wear gloves and a mask when dyeing fabrics, especially if you are using mordants. Cover your workspace in plastic and wear an apron to protect your clothes.  Clearly label dye jars for storage and keep them safely out of reach of little ones.

• Good ventilation is important. If you can, take everything outside and prepare dye and fabrics in the open air, especially when using mordants.

• Dry your fabrics away from direct sunlight to prevent the colour fading.

• Always test a sample piece first to determine if the colour is what you are hoping to achieve.

• Hand dyed fabric can contain variations in colour intensity or irregularities like mottling, marbling or graduations - learn to embrace the imperfections!

• Remember that hand dyed fabrics are not as colourfast as commercial fabrics so limit contact with direct sunlight when storing or once your project has been completed.

In Part Two of this Quilting 101 series, we'll discuss Mordants and Tannins which assist in fixing the dye to the fibres of the fabric. There are several options and I'll share each process so you can make an informed choice on what's right for you and your projects.

I hope this first post of the series has sparked your interest in hand dyeing fabrics. The information will come together over the three posts and give you clearer picture of the process and what you will need.

Dyeing your own fabrics unleashes your creativity and adds a special touch to the quilts you sew! 

Why not give it a try?

PIN FOR LATER:

Happy quilting :)