Welcome to week 1 of the natural dye along. I am so excited to get started.
Alright, let’s just dive right in and start some new dye adventures. This is the first time I have held a natural dye along and it seems there is so much to go over this first week. In the next four weeks, we will slowly go through the basic steps of natural dyeing. As someone who has been dyeing for years, I want you to know this information is just the tip of the iceberg for natural dye possibilities. However, it is the foundational information you will need to really expand your skill in natural dye. The more you learn about natural dyeing, the more there will be to learn. It’s truly a lifelong hobby of learning and creating.
First things first, let’s review the schedule:
- Week 1: Find fabric and scour (clean)
- Week 2: Mordant (preparing the fabric to accept dye)
- Week 3: Dye your fabric
- Week 4: Modifying your dye, cleaning,and care
In each step of the way, specific amounts, ratios, and temperatures are important. I have covered all of the specific information in the Beginner’s Guide to Natural Dyeing. This will also be very handy in the future as you continue to dye on your own. Even after years of dyeing, I frequently reference my favorite guides. You can grab a copy of this guide below.
Schedule Notes
The schedule is broken down into four weeks to make it very feasible for anyone to join and find the time to dye. In reality, I would usually go through these steps over the course of 2-3 days. You can complete the steps in whatever way makes sense for you. For example, it is easy to take wet fabric that has been scoured and rinsed and directly proceed to mordanting. You can also air-dry the fabric after scouring and then proceed to mordant the following week. Decide what works for you. For many of you this is your first time dyeing, so also give yourself some grace that there may be mistakes or imperfect results.
Finding Fabric
This dye along covers the steps for dyeing cellulose fabric. Cellulose fabrics are plant-based fabrics, such as cotton, linen, bamboo, and hemp. Wool and silk are protein-based fibers that can also be dyed naturally, but the process is slightly different. Synthetic materials, such as polyester, spandex, nylon, microfiber, and fleece cannot be dyed by natural ingredients. So, step one for you this week is to select fabric you can dye.
I will be dyeing a couple of different items. First, I have 6 fat quarters of Prepared for Dyeing (PFD) Kona Cotton fabric. I also am dyeing a kid’s shirt I made out of Natural color Essex linen. Since my 2-year-old would destroy this light color in 10 minutes, I am going to dye it a bright yellow. If you are dyeing cotton fabric, do not think that PFD fabric is necessary for dyeing. However, it dyes very nicely because it doesn’t have many of the waxes and residue on it which remain after the manufacturing process. Any other cellulose fabric will also dye nicely, but more careful attention will need to be made to the scouring process.
That brings us to what should YOU use? I always recommend to new dyers to try and find second-hand white fabric for dyeing. I have bought sheets, fabric, and clothing from second-hand stores or garage sales. It’s a great way to upcycle something not in use to a piece of beautiful fabric. The benefit beyond upcycling is that you are paying a fraction of the price. In your first attempts, your dye samples may not always work out as well as you hoped. Using second-hand fabric makes this a bit easier to accept.
There is one caveat to using second-hand fabric – you will need to know it is cellulose fabric and not synthetic. This can be tricky as there are polyester fabrics made to look like woven cotton or linen. There are also fabrics that are a mix of plant-based and synthetic materials. The solution – a burn test. I know this sounds a bit strange and maybe a bit difficult, but I have had good results with a burn test. If you google fabric burn test, you will find many visuals to help you. Here is a LINK to a helpful blog and chart. The one thing I have found most helpful is that synthetic fibers harden once burnt and natural fibers turn into an ash.
For some of us, finding second-hand fabric may not be an option this week. In that case, any other cellulose fabric will work that is white or off-white. Grab something out of your stash, your closet, or head to your local fabric shop. If you want to use PFD fabric, I still have some available in my shop as well.
Scouring
Scouring is the process of cleaning fabrics of grease, dirt, waxes, or any other leftover residue. This essentially strips the fabric so the mordant and dye can bind with the fabric. Leftover residue will not allow the dye to attach to that piece of your fabric. Don’t overlook this step. It is important in achieving a good dye.
In the guide, I discuss two ways to scour your fabric. Since most of you will be dyeing smaller amounts of fabric, I will only be discussing the method of scouring in a small pot with heat. You will need to purchase soda ash. You can find a big box of this at most large grocery stores, box stores, craft or art stores, or online. I like to use Arm & Hammer’s washing soda – it is the same thing just with a different name.
Before you start the process of scouring, you may want to cut your fabric into the size you will want for dyeing. For example, I cut my yard and a half into 6 fat quarters because I want 6 fabrics each in a different color. If I was going to dye all of these the same color, I would just leave it as is. You also will want to weigh your fabric. I use a small kitchen scale for this as you can see below. For context, 1 yard of Kona cotton PFD fabric is usually 140 grams, although I find this can vary slightly. If you do not have a scale you can guestimate your weight based off of this.
To scour: Dissolve the soda ash in a pot of water that will hold your fabric with extra room. Use your beginner’s guide for finding exact ratios of soda ash in comparison to your weight of fabric (WOF). Wet your fabric and add it to this pot, fully submerging it. You will slowly bring the fabric up to a simmer and hold it there for one hour. If you have a good lid, you can turn off the heat at 40 minutes and let it sit covered. Stir the fabric occasionally as it simmers. I do this process outside, but you can also use your stovetop inside. Once you have turned off the heat, allow the fabrics to cool until you can safely touch the water. Rinse the fabrics well. Your fabric is now ready for the mordant process that we will cover next week.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we will mordant the fabric. As I mentioned above, you can always wait until next week to scour and mordant back to back over the course of 2 days. For mordanting, you will need aluminum acetate. You can use other forms of alum, but I will be going over how to use aluminum acetate followed by calcium carbonate or wheat bran. If you would like to buy a mordanting kit, I still have some available in my shop. If you know you will need more aluminum acetate for future dyeing, you can buy a larger quantity from Botanical Colors. Also, you may want to start saving dye goods for week 3. I would recommend saving onion skins and avocado pits and skins. Depending on where you live, you may have some flowers available this time of year. Marigolds and cosmos are great options if they are in bloom by you.
Prize and Questions
I said I wasn’t going to do prizes for the dye along, but I couldn’t help myself. Share progress pictures this week or next of your fabric, scouring, or the mordanting process to be entered into the prize drawing. Use the hashtag #naturaldyealong and tag me @sidelakestitch. If you don’t use social media, you can email me too. I will randomly select one person to win 2 yards of PFD Essex linen with mordant.
Lastly, if you have questions, the best way to reach me is through email at sidelakestitch@gmail.com. You can also comment here, but I usually do not get to comments as quickly as email. Good luck this week!
