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Four Tips Where to Source Plants

11/14/2017

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I was first introduced to natural dyeing at the age of 4 when my grandma showed me how to colour eggs with onion skins for Easter. I remember being really excited, but I can’t say I was surprised. It seemed like the most natural way to do it, so to me it made perfect sense: if plants have colour then that colour can be used. I also remember playing outside and staining my clothes with grass, it was so green that the colour wouldn’t wash out and I started being more careful so I didn’t accidentally colour my favourite pants.

Those first memories remained, but I was much older when I took natural dyeing more seriously. I was at a weekend market and saw a long linen throw that one girl was selling, it had beautiful eucalyptus prints on it, but when I came closer to look at it the prints were digital. I will never forget the disappointment I felt, but that moment started my journey into natural dyeing. I didn’t know much about it and had never seen naturally dyed fibres. I simply started experimenting with anything I could find in my garden and kitchen, black tea, coffee beans, beetroot, onions, cabbage, and leafs I collected from the ground. It turned into an obsession; every dye session was a lesson I will never forget. There were a lot of fails, but I believe that’s the only way to get better. I’m sure there are many books out there about natural dyeing and articles online, but being as stubborn as I am I wanted to learn everything myself, looking for a recipe has never been my way of working. It definitely took me much longer than it would have if I did some research, but the satisfaction I felt, knowing that I achieved all the results by being persistent and giving it time can’t be compared to anything else. The reason why I’m saying this, if because I want everyone to understand that this is something you can all do at home! You don’t need a big studio, as long as you have a kitchen, a bit of space and a drying line it’s all very easy. I understand that not everyone wants to dedicate their lives to natural dyeing, but why not give new life to your pre loved garments and have some fun!
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1. Your Kitchen
Almost every single plant on this planet can give some sort of colour, they can vary from light yellows, to browns, reds, purples, blues and even dark greys, blacks and so on. Start looking and thinking about what you can use locally. First and the easiest would be your kitchen, it’s always fun and you can slowly move towards a zero waste life. Many people simply dispose of vegetable and fruit skins for example, but most of them can be used to achieve colours on cloth. Some of the most common examples would be onion skins, red cabbage, rosemary, pomegranate, beetroot leaves, tea, coffee and many more.

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2. Outside of Your House
The next step would be to look for what you can use outside of your house. If you have a garden you can try experimenting with weeds and some pest plants, flowers, and leaves from your trees. If you don’t have one, then ask your friends and neighbours. People are always happy if you want to come in and help them clean up a little bit, it’s a win situation for both of you and when connecting with others you might also inspire them to do the same and maybe one day we can completely get rid of toxic dyes which are so harmful to this planet.

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3. On The Streets
Go for a walk and see if you can find some fallen leaves and flowers, windy days are always my favourite: harvest time! A good indicator is to see if the leaves stained the ground, many do and that usually means you will receive some strong colours! Try not to interfere with the natural growing process; don’t break branches and rip plants out, especially if you don’t know what they are. Many plants are very slow growing, endangered and some are even toxic and could be harmful to your health. Always be careful, mindful and respectful.

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4. Local Communities
Get in contact with your local veggie shops and florists. Every day and week they get rid of wonderful dye materials and you can easily get your hands on that. Your local council can also be of great help, green waste from parks and gardens in an unlimited supply. Start looking around and thinking of what you can use. Don’t give up if you don’t achieve the desired result straight away, just keep experimenting, it’s all about leaning and getting better. One thing I can promise you is that you will have fun!

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This tutorial was originally written for MOCHNI.COM <3
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Eco Prints on Fabric

11/14/2017

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I believe that if you can achieve the most amazing prints and colours just by using natural elements which don’t harm our planet in any way then toxic dyes should never be considered. Natural dyeing is a very slow process, but that’s the beauty of it. Learn to slow down and just look around you, observe what nature is doing, try to understand it, feel it, love, respect and protect it. There is a reason why we call it “Mother Earth” and that’s because we would not be here without it. It’s really as simple as that! It’s time for everyone to think about who makes your clothes?  Where and how exactly they’re made and how are they dyed? Wouldn’t you prefer to wear something harmless and unique? I definitely do. An eco print can never be repeated, because every leaf on this planet is different, even the two sides of that leaf are different. I like that though and I’ll let you think about it, but for now I’ll show you how to achieve those beautiful prints on your garments.

OK, let’s start!
  • First of all you just need to go for a walk and see what you can find.  Start by looking for fallen leaves and flowers. Choose the ones you like!! I always suggest checking if they left any marks on the ground, if they did then you will definitely receive a strong print. From my observations it’s better to harvest after a few sunny days; leaves usually lose their strength in colour after the rain, because they are more diluted by water. 
  • Choose your fabric. I recommend you to start with silk (eco friendly silk exists) or wool as they take the dye much easier. Later when you have experimented enough with the plants you can move onto plant based fabrics. I won’t even mention synthetic ones...you can imagine what I think about them.
  • Next step is to place your plants anywhere you want on your garment and make a tight bundle.
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  • Now you choose what you would like to do next. If you’ve not very patient then the best way would be to cook it. You can steam or boil it, try both methods! They will give you different results. How long for? This is something I can’t answer because I don’t know which plants you’ve collected, but let’s say between 30minutes to 6 hours. You will see colours slowly coming through and you’ll know when it’s ready. Don’t overcook it though; colours from some plants can start disappearing if you’ve left it for too long. So check on it regularly and don’t forget to add more water if necessary.
  • You can also solar dye if you live in a hot, sunny place. I like putting my bundles in a bucket of water and just leaving them under the sun.
  • If you don’t want to be reminded by it, you can bury it in your garden and take it out after a few months, the soil will add some colours as well
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  • If you decided to go with cooking or solar dyeing then once you think it’s ready, take it out and let it cool down and dry. This will allow for a stronger print. Time really matters when it comes to eco-printing.
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Be patient!

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When you can’t wait any longer just unwrap it and let your leaves go back where they belong.
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This part of the process is always very exciting! Let your fabric hang in the shade and dry completely before rinsing. You don’t have to rinse at all if you don’t want to. Quiet often it will smell really good and you can just wear it straight away.

Please don’t be disappointed if the results are not what you expected. It’s all about experimenting and learning how different plants react to different fibres. I had so many fails when I just started, but if you’re persistent you will see real magic appear right in front of your eyes in no time.  If I can do it so can you!

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This tutorial was originally written for MOCHNI.COM <3
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Naturally Dye Clothes with Cabbage & Onions.

6/22/2017

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With this easy tutorial you can give new life to pre-loved clothes with simple ingredients that most of us already have in our kitchen. It’s not only a great way to reuse your clothes and your leftover food, but it’s a fun and addictive activity that even kids will enjoy.  
I was four when my grandma showed me how to use onion skins to colour eggs for Easter. I will never forget the excitement; it was all so magical. Little did my grandma know that this experience would inspire me to pursue natural dyeing full time.

So let’s get started!

First step, choose your fabric. Natural fibres such as cotton, linen, wool and silk will take the dye much easier. (Avoid fibres that need a mordant for dyeing as they require a different method, which I will explain in a future tutorial).
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Now, start collecting the skins. If you don’t eat onions or cabbage just go to a local veggie shop and ask if you can collect some of theirs.
What you will need:
  • Onion and or cabbage skins
  • Nonreactive stainless-steel pot
  • Glass Jars 
  • Pre-washed fibre (for better results soak it in water overnight before dyeing)
  • Nonreactive stainless steel tongs
  • A strainer
  • Water
  • Heat source 
  • Salt
Please note: I will be using glass jars, as I’m only dyeing small swatches of fabric for the purpose of this tutorial. If you’re dyeing a larger piece, find something that fits your item appropriately. 

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Now let’s get to the fun part!
Place your skins in jars or bigger pots and fill with water. You can also break up the skins for a faster result. Add enough water to let them float freely, and keep in mind, the more skins the stronger the colour!
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Heat them up and bring to a simmer. I really don’t recommend boiling them, though many online tutorials suggest this, but the goal is not to cook them as fast as possible, it's to extract the best colour. I find that a slow simmer works much better! Within fifteen minutes, you should start to see a change.

Heat for about an hour and make sure you close the lid so that your dye doesn’t evaporate. Stir it occasionally and add more water if needed. FIY, the cabbage might take a bit longer!

Once the hour is up, take a look to see if you have achieved your desired colour. Feel free to keep simmering if it needs more time.
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When you’re satisfied with the colour, strain your dye into another nonreactive pot (in my case more jars). Another FYI, unless you've exhausted them, you can use the skins again and repeat the previous steps if you need more dye. 
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Your dye is now ready; submerge your fabric in it. I recommend placing it in a sunny spot so it stays warm for longer. I like to keep the jars open if there is plenty of sun so as to keep them warm, but if you don't have a sunny spot to put them in, keep the lids on tight so they don't lose any heat.
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Left to right- red cabbage, brown onion skins, red onion skins.
Leave it overnight and try not to think about it. I know it’s always tempting to take it out, but you really want the dye to attach to the fibres which takes time and patience!
Once it's finished, take your fabric out, squeeze and let it dry in a shady spot. Natural dyes are very sensitive to the sun and can fade. You can also store your left over dye in the fridge to use again in the future, just remember to reheat it.

Before you rinse your fabric, let it sit for a week or longer. (Sorry guys, more waiting!)
Finally! Dip your garments in warm salt water for a few minutes. This works as a fixative. If you don't live close to the ocean and you need to make your own, just make sure you buy salt that’s not iodised! 

Now, rinse, squeeze and let it dry in the shade one last time and you’re finished!
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Left to right- brown onion, red onion, red cabbage
Above are my results!
If you want an extra bit of fun, you can also play with dipping your dyed fabric in a vinegar solution to see if the colour changes ☺ 
Now start eating more onions and cabbage! If you have any questions I am happy to help. Feel free to contact me! xx

This tutorial was originally written for Tapered Magazine. Please follow the link below for other great reads!
https://www.taperedmagazine.com/
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Dyeing With Avocado Skins

5/24/2017

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It’s hard to imagine by looking at avocados that they can produce a beautiful pink dye, but with this easy tutorial you can all try this at home and give new life to your per-loved garments. Keep in mind that natural fibres such as cotton, linen, wool, silk etc will take the dye much easier.

Now start collecting your skins or pits(you can use both). Try scraping as much as you can off them and put them in the freezer  until you have enough to use. You can wash them, but I can never be bothered, it doesn’t make much of a difference later on.

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What you will need:
  • Avocado skins or pits(they will produce slightly different shades, experiment with both)
  • Two nonreactive stainless-steel pots to start with(later on you can try different ones to see how it will affect your results)
  • Pre-washed fibre( I really recommend to always stick to natural and organic ones)
  • Nonreactive stainless steel tongs( You can use a wooden spoon, but depending on what timber  it’s made of and how treated it might affect the result)
  • A strainer
  • Water
  • Heat source
  • Salt
Always make your dyes outside or in a well ventilated area and use a different pot to the one you would cook food in. Although many natural dyes are completely safe, unless you know exactly what their properties are and how they will affect you when you inhale the steam, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Also if cooking on gas or fire make sure, you have a nice even ground surface and enough empty space around to not start a bigger fire! And the last and most important safety suggestion is never fall asleep while your pot is cooking and check on it quiet often to make sure there’s enough water left, just like cooking a soup. Natural dyeing will definitely test your patience, so maybe chose a day when you’re full of energy!
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Now let’s get to the fun part!
  • Place your skins in the pot and fill up with water. Add enough water to let them float freely, but remember the more avocados, the more concentrated the dye. Depending on what shade you’re after.
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  • You can break them up for a faster result.
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  • Now heat them up and bring to a simmer. Don’t boil them! Even though it might seem that it will speed up the process, I found that that slow simmering works much better! You will start noticing the changes after about fifteen minutes. Heat for about an hour for stronger colours and make sure you close the lid so your dye doesn’t just evaporate. Stir it every now and then.
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  • Here is how it looked after forty five minutes. When you’re satisfied with the colour, strain your dye into another nonreactive pot! There’s nothing more annoying than picking bits of avocado from your fabric later on.
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  • Don’t straight away dispose of your skins; you can repeat the previous steps again if you need more dye!
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Your dye is now ready; submerge your fabric in it. If you live in a very hot place just leave it under the sun so it stays warm for longer. Otherwise close the lid again and just let it sit.
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  • For best results and stronger colour, I do recommend leaving it over night, but for this tutorial I look my fabric out after a few hours to take pictures, while I still had light. Be patient! After you’re finished, you can actually store your dye in the fridge to use again. Just remember to heat it up!
  • Take your fabric out and squeeze as much water out as possible. Let it dry in a shady spot! Natural dyes are very sensitive to the sun! Before you rinse your fabric, just let it sit for a week or longer. This will help with more permanent results.
  •  I recommend dipping your dyed piece in warm salt water for a few minutes. It works as a fixative. Ocean water is perfect, but if you’re mixing your own make sure you buy salt that’s not iodised!
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Here are my results. I love the lighter shades, but if you want stronger pinks just use more skins and heat them for longer!
Now start eating avocados and have some fun! If you have any questions I'm always very happy to help out.

Please note: Some fibres need a mordant for dyeing, but if dyeing with avocado pits, you do not need to pre mordant your fibres, as tannin in them acts as a mordant.

Enjoy!

Liya xx

This tutorial was originally written for MOCHNI.COM <3




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    Welcome to my blog. I'm a self taught natural dyer and I know how confusing things can get sometimes, specially for beginners. I believe that experimenting is the only way to learn, but hope that my notes will help you on this fascinating, magical journey. Don't be scared to play! After all fabric can just be re-dyed ;) For more updates follow me on my instagram page @liya_mira

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