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Dye Natural Materials with Turmeric, Black Turtle Beans and Coffee
Create eco-friendly dyes, without chemicals, using different food ingredients. You can achieve sustainable colours using all sorts of food. For example Red cabbage (blue), onion skins (yellow), avocado (pink) and blackberries (purple). This tutorial demonstrates the vibrant colours of turmeric (yellow), tea and coffee (brown) and black turtle beans (blue). Learn how to mordant your fabric for a colour-fast result that lasts.

Posted by Bella Nunn from Norwich, England, United Kingdom • Published 13th March 2021 • See Bella Nunn's 7 projects »

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Bella Nunn published their project Make Natural Dyes With Food 13 Mar 09:00

Step 1
For this tutorial you will need the dyestuff: black turtle beans, turmeric, tea and coffee. Preparing the fabric so that the dye fixes to the fabric and doesn't fade is called 'mordanting'. You will need to 'mordant' your fabric first, using Alum. You can find Alum mordant online, I got mine from http://www.wildcolours.co.uk/ .
Step 2
Weigh your fabric first.
Step 3
Wash your fabric, then rinse.
Step 4
Pre-wetting: leave the fabric to soak for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight. This allows the fibres to open up and receive the dye better.
Step 5
Take the weight of your fabric and measure out 8% of alum. My fabric weighs 112g, therefore I am using 8.9g of Alum.
Step 6
Add a little boiling water to your Alum to dissolve it, then add it to your cooking pot, preferably a non-reactive pot like stainless steel.
Step 7
Add enough water to the pot, and then your fabric. Boil for 1 hour and leave overnight. After this mordanting process, the fabric can be rinsed and dried to use another time, or used immediately in their damp state. If the fabric is dry you will need to pre-wet it again before dyeing.
Step 8
Prepare the dyes: If you are using whole turmeric, rather than powder, you can grate it. Cover the food ingredients with boiling water and let them simmer for 15 minutes, then top up the water with the amount you need, depending on how much fabric you are dyeing. Leave to simmer for 1 hour. Then leave it off the heat for an extra 1-12 hours, depending on the amount of dyestuff you are using. I am only using a small amount so am letting it boil for 1 hour then leaving it off the heat for another 2 hours.
Step 9
Strain the dye and put the liquid back into the pot. Your dye bath is ready.
Step 10
Add your fabric to the dye and simmer for 1-2 hours, then leave off the heat for 1-12 hours.
Step 11
Take your fabric out, rinse and dry.
Step 12
The finished colours may vary depending on your fabric choice.