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Natural Dyes

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 NATURAL DYES  "Creating dyes by using a range of natural sources to colour fabrics. This method is much more environmentally friendly than using most shop bought dyes." This blog explores a range of natural dyes with step by step instructions, measurements and discussion of outcomes. The fabric that I have used for these samples is a plain light weight cotton material. Other materials can be used such as silk; however through experiments the silk fabrics were not as as vibrant in my tests. You should begin by washing any fabrics that you are going to use to remove any chemicals that the fabrics may have been treated with, you can do this by rinsing them under water. I do not add any detergents when I wash fabrics for dying.  BEETROOT MIX The first natural material I have explored is a beetroot; I found beetroot has an extremely strong colour that stains the fabric really well. You also do not have to use a lot of beetroot to colour the fabric.  To create the dye I have chopp
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Boiled Shibori

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Boiled Shibori Hi, this is my blog sharing art, design and textiles techniques. This technique uses heat to manipulate the shape of the fabric. Strings can be used or objects can be tied into the fabric which is then emerged into boiling water and cooked.  Materials used in samples: Fabric (Cotton/ chiffon/ silk). String. Hard Materials (Marbles, coins, stones). Water. Metal Pan. Cooker. Dye/ Inks/ Paints.  This sample uses just string, brusho inks and cotton fabric. I have used string to tie sections of the fabric and then boiled the fabric in water for 30 minutes. Once dry I dye the fabric using a range of methods. After dying I allow to dry again before removing the strings.  Boiled Shibori with Coins To create this sample I have used a plain grey cotton fabric. I have then tied coins into the fabric into different sections to create a striped effect. I have then boiled the fabric for 30 minutes on a medium heat. When boiling the fabric must be cooked at a medium heat and add additi
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