Home dyeing

wyoDreamer

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This is very interesting. I bought a fabric dying kit a few years ago and hpope to get my craft building set up this summer and dye a bunch of facbric for crafting with.
The closest I came to this is using blueberries, strawberries and onions to dye my easter eggs one year. In fact, I may do it again this year with my light brown eggs. The colors come out so nice.
 

Hinotori

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I want to try onion skins on my blue eggs. Maybe a quick turmeric dye to get a nice green.


My lichen dyes have another month to go before I can use them. Only the reindeer lichen looks like something really interesting as it's purple.
 

Marianne

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Fascinating! I have painted on wet cottons, wadded up and put on a aluminum pan. Dripped watered down acrylic paint on the fabric and let it spread into interesting shapes. A spray of water helped spread it and added the the different shades of colors. NEVER even thought about using natural dyes. I would have aimed for beet juice, turmeric, onion skin. I wish I would have thought about it!
That Christmas, I gave all my quilting buddies a box of 'fat quarters' (18"" x 22") of all the different shades of my efforts. Although I loved the organic shapes and patterns, my friends were less than impressed. Keep us informed of your progress.
 

creativetwinszoo

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If its cotton or animal fiber koolaid is pretty colorfast! I use vinegar as the mordant :) (I've only dyed sheep wool so far)
Turmeric has got to be one of my favorite natural dyes so far, hibiscus I've found can be blah, needs more material than I'm willing to use lol, for a reddish/rose tone try boiling I think its avocado pit with the item for an hour?
 

creativetwinszoo

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I dont really have easy access to fresh lichen in the desert here, aside from mayby Michael's or internet stores (dried out :( )so sadly haven't done any litchen dyes but it sounds like fun! I'd like to do different fungi at some point~
 

Hinotori

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Using what you have is always good. The reindeer lichen that makes the pretty purple color grows on everything here. I just pick it off the ground when the wind blows it out of the trees.
 

YourRabbitGirl

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Turmeric is my most favorite natural dye. In my opinion, it is one of the strongest ones out there. Some natural dyes are too faint to give off a noticeable color pay-off. .
 

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