Iron is a great way to shift your naturally dyed fiber to darker shades quickly and easily. Make your own homemade iron water with 3 simple ingredients: rusty nails, white vinegar and water. After a few weeks, your iron water is ready to go! You only need a splash, so store it away to use any time you are looking for darker shades including gray and black. This video tutorial will show you how to make and use iron water, as well as the resulting color swatch samples of 6 different natural dyes on cotton.
pH Shift
Red cabbage makes a gorgeous purple natural dye, but did you know it is also a color shifter? By changing the pH of the water with simple ingredients in your kitchen, red cabbage dye can turn to luscious pinks and vibrant greens. This tutorial will show you how to brew 4 different colors from red cabbage, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton & silk) of all four dyes.
Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is a natural way to create purple dye for your textile and craft projects by simply chopping it up and throwing it in a pot of simmering water. The leftover 'soup' will be a vibrant dye that colors your fiber shades of lilac and lavender to deeper violet tones depending on your textile. This tutorial will show you how to brew dye from red cabbage, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton & silk) with various mordants.
Black Bean
Black beans are a natural way to create blue dye for your textile and craft projects by using a cold process. Are you soaking black beans for a pot of soup? Fantastic - just let them soak an extra day and the thick leftover water can be saved for a blue that can have hints of green, purple and gray. This tutorial will show you how to create a 'cold brew' for a lovely blue dye, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton & silk) with various mordants.
Spinach
Spinach is a natural way to create green dye for your textile and craft projects by using food from your kitchen or garden. Did you forget the spinach in the back of your fridge? Even better! Wilted leaves that are past their prime can help coax out that green dye. This tutorial will show you how to brew a subtle green dye, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton & silk) with various mordants.
Citrus Peel
Citrus peel is a natural way to create yellow dye for your textile and craft projects by using your kitchen waste. Using citrus to add zest to your cooking or for a quick snack? If so, start collecting the skins to throw in your dye pot instead of your trash bin! Any citrus will work: grapefruit, orange, mandarin, lemon, etc. This tutorial will show you how to brew dye from the peels, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton & silk) with various mordants.
Yellow Onion Skin
Yellow onion skin is a natural way to create orange dye for your textile and craft projects by using your kitchen waste. Start collecting skins when you use onion in your cooking instead of throwing them away. If you don't cook with onions, no problem! The produce department in your local grocery store will happily give you their skins if you ask for them. This tutorial will show you how to brew dye from the skins, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton) with various mordants.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a natural way to create red and pink dyes for your textile and craft projects. If you don't live in a tropical area where hibiscus grows naturally, no problem! You can use hibiscus tea or dried flowers (see links below) for a quick and easy organic color alternative. This tutorial will show you how to brew dyes from both flowers and tea, as well as the resulting color swatch samples (cotton) of both methods.
Color Quest
Welcome to my new YouTube channel, Margaret Byrd:Color Quest as I move my Trail Tales blog to a vlog! Every Friday, I release new video content focused on the amazing world of natural color. Join me as I explore ways to forage and invite organic color into my creative practice.