As this week’s assignment we had to dye fabrics naturally. Each of us were given a different color; I was assigned red/blue. After the class was over, I went online and started researching how I could come up with this color. I found a site called Pioneer Thinking that had a lot of information about dyes and fixatives, which are necessary for the dye to set on the textile. I followed their directions exactly, this is what happened.
First, I prepared the Salt Fixative (which is for berry dyes) by adding 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water. Add the fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour. Rinse the material and squeeze out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear. This is the color the fabric, (which is 100% organic cotton) came out as from the salt fixative bath.
After I was done with that it was time to prepare the dye. Chop berry material into small pieces and place in a pot. I added 3/4 cup of raspberries and 1/2 cup of blackberries to 4 cups of water on the pot.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour.
Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.
This was the color the textile came out as, before they dried completely. These are 5 minutes and 2 minutes, respectively.
