I finally had a chance to do some bundle dyeing this weekend. It's so satisfying creating pattern and color from all natural materials. It was my first attempt and I'm completely hooked. Would love any tips or suggestions from more experienced natural dyers.
Below are the simple steps that I took in order to create the fabric you see above.
Step 1: collect flower petals, leaves, berries, moss
Step 2: wet fabric and lay flat
Step 3: sprinkle or arrange your natural findings on the fabric.
Step 4: roll fabric tightly and wrap with twine
Step 5: let sit in a warm sunny spot for several days or steam in a pot for 1 - 1.5 hours (I steamed because I was eager to see the results)
Step 6: let stand and cool as long as possible (as long as possible for me was approximately 45 minutes)
Step 6: unroll, rinse and let fabric dry
* You may also mordant the fabric prior to these steps in order to set the color and increase lightfastness.
absolutely amazing to see how the plants make this pattern to
ReplyDeleteyour fabric!
the photo of the petals, leaves, berries, and moss is gorgeous. lovely colors. i can see why you would be hooked.
ReplyDeleteI must try this asap! (and there is no shortage of nature here in the mountains) Thanks so much for posting this, great inspiration! And yours came out lovely, what will you make with it?
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the wonderful feedback. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make with the fabric yet but I'm already thinking about my next venture. I'll definitely mordant the fabric to set the color next time. The colors did fade even though I gently rinsed in cool water. India Flint's book Eco Colour is packed with information and encouragement for botanical dyeing. I highly recommend it!
ReplyDeletePheebs,
ReplyDeleteWay cool.
Beautiful! I've been "dyeing" to try this myself. I have that India Flint book, and isn't it just so gorgeous?
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