Naturally I love to Dye Naturally

An example of clothes dyed with black walnut hulls.

Fabric, yarn and clothes have been dyed for several millennia. It has been only in modern times that synthetic dyes have been used. Minerals like red iron oxide and cobalt blue deliver brilliant colors. Reds from tiny bugs, soft yellow from plants. So many options are all around us. Some options are disappointing, some are quite surprising, while others are more obvious. Discovering pigment in plants is a fun way to include science into your art projects. 

One note of caution though, just because something comes from nature doesn't make it safe. Be careful of the trees and plants that are poisonous. This is where a bit of chemistry comes in. Case in point, the elderberry fruit will make you sick if you eat it raw, but once it has been cooked, it is safe and beneficial to eat/drink. 

One amazing natural dye might be right under your nose and you didn't know it. In truth, no part of the black walnut that falls to the ground, is wasted. The outside hull is green on the tree, but quickly dries and turns a dark brown or black. When it falls off and once it is no longer getting nutrients from being connected to the tree, then it starts to dry out. 

Some will instruct to boil the whole walnut, but I have found that removing the hull and just dealing with it, is less wasteful. When the hulls have dried, I was taught to loosen the hull by gently  tapping it with a hammer. Separate the walnuts from the hulls and set aside the walnuts for later use.

Gently (to avoid creating walnut dust) use the hammer to break up the hulls a bit more.

Now that you have all of those lovely hulls full of brown pigment, you will want to put them in a big bucket and cover with water. The dried hulls will start to absorb the water, so I suggest filling the bucket up only half way, then let it sit for about 30 minutes. 

After you let it "rest" then stir it, and fill it up the rest of the way. Once full, cover it with an old t-shirt or pillow case. Use twine or bungie cords to secure the covering. You will want to put the bucket in a warm place and let it sit for 5 - 7 days. This time frame allows the water to pull out the pigment from the hulls.

When you are ready to dye, loosen the cover and add a bit more water, then recover and secure the covering. Now your walnut sludge is ready to use. Carefully pour the sludge through the covering, and into your dye bath pan. I would suggest doing this outdoors and over an area that you don't mind getting a bit stained. 

Fill your dye bath pan only about 1/3rd of the way full, and add in your wet fabric or yarn. Use a short wooden dye dowel to push the fabric into the walnut dye. Always wear gloves and an apron, as walnut dye REALLY stains. 

Once all of the fabric has been covered with dye, then place your pan on the stove and slowly heat it up on the low setting. You really don't want your dye to boil, for several reasons. One of which is that if it boils over, it will make a mess of your stove. After an hour of simmering on low, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool over night. (if you want a lighter brown dye, then rinse once the dye bath is cooled off.) Always rinse in a non-staining sink or tub. 

Another important note, when you are discarding the remaining dye bath, don't pour it near any plants, as walnut "water" has been known to kill off plants.

While dyeing with black walnut has a lot of steps, other natural dyes are a bit more friendly and easier to use. Dandelions, for example, are quite easy to dye with. All you have to do is pick the green leaves and yellow flower heads, then simmer in water for about an hour. While the dandelions are simmering, put a tablespoon of alum in a large glass or stainless steel bowl and pour boiling water over it. Stir until dissolved. Once the alum is dissolved, then add your fabric or yarn to the liquid. Cover and let sit while you are waiting on the dandelion dye bath. The alum water will help the yellow dye fix to the fabric. 

After the dye bath has simmer for an hour, strain out the dandelion bits, so that all you have is the dye bath water. Gently wring out the fabric that's in the alum water and place what you are wanting to dye, into the dandelion dye bath. Turn heat back on lower, loosely cover and let it simmer for 60 to 90 minutes. Stirring occasionally to insure that all of the fabric is being dyed. 

(Note: the dandelions are only added to the pot for the photo.)

Since dandelion doesn't have as strong of a pigment as some other natural dyes, you will NOT rinse it out after the dye bath has cooled. Just wring it our over the pan, and hang to dry. I usually let my dried,softer pigment dyed clothes/fabric sit, unwashed, for about a week. During their first wash, I just use a tablespoon of washing soda in the water. 

When discarding the dandelion dye bath, it is fine to pour the cooled dye bath on or near plants, as it won't hurt them.

I found it interesting that after a week, the dandelion dyed fabric actually got darker, and the washing soda didn't strip out any of the color. It is good to keep in mind that some commercial laundry soaps are designed to pull out "stains", so it is a good practice to use less of it in your washing of naturally dyed clothes. There are also some easy recipes, if you are inclined to mix up your own powdered laundry soap. I have found some that contain only three ingredients. But, that is for another blog all together.

 

 One of the most surprising dyes for me, was the color I got from  avocados skins and pits. After making guacamole I had all of  these pits and skins sitting around. Sure I could have composed them, but I scrubbed all of the green slime off and put them in my dye pan with some water. 

Who-wa, to my surprise, the water turned from brown to blood red within an hour of simmer on low. This was exciting and I couldn't wait to put my alum soaked fabric into the dye bath. Now unlike black walnuts and dandelions, I did NOT take out the pits or skins, but instead let them simmer on low, with the fabric for that magical 60 - 90 minutes. 

Just like the other dye baths, I covered and let cool over night. Then like the dandelion dye, I wrung out the clothes and let them hang dry. Also setting aside for a week, and then washing in the washing soda.

The result that I got was a dark salmon color. Now, I am sure that if I had used more than the pits and skin from four avocados, the color would have been a bit darker. Like wise, if less was used, or a shorter cooling soak, then a lighter color could have been achieved. I was pleased with the result as it turned out this time though.  

 

I did try dyeing with all three of these dye baths on one piece of clothing, and the results were mixed. Since it was harder to control the exact design, I wasn't as happy with the result. I did end up re-dyeing this dress, so that I was happier with it. 

That is something to keep in mind as well. If at first you don't succeed, then dye, dye again. Yes, I know, I am punny!

But seriously, Naturally dyed clothes will need to be re-dyed from time to time. Because, even though you use alum to help the natural pigment to stay, normal washing will tend to fade most colors.

I did a fun little experiment and posted this picture on social media, to see if anyone knew what it was. Out of context, the guessed ranged from "Roast beef in Au'jus" to the far out there, "Blood of mine Enemies". (Oh my Ren. Fest people!!! I love them!!)

There were several that knew in a second what it was, as the interest in natural dyeing is being revived. It is a bit more environmentally friendly and actually a whole lot of fun. 

FYI, avocado dye bath water is safe to water the plants with. 

Here is another way to keeping science and art fun and real!

Enjoy, and I'd love to see your projects and hear about your experiences with natural dyeing. As always, feel free to ask questions, and I will do my best to answer them.