Naturally Dyed Cotton | Living in Natures Love

Dye Pots of Natural Plants

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP–Living in Natures Love Lifestyles insideawareness.com

From left to right: Rue Seed Pods & Stems, Oregon Grape Berries, Hollyhock Flowers, Crocsmia Flowers, Fennel Flower/Seed Pods

In Victoria there was a window of high heat from the sun these past two years that created a perfect opportunity to dye with plant materials using solar energy. This year I used the pails pictured above for convenience and found that the glass is a higher heat that lasts even as the sun went down. I also found that dye in glass left more consistent absorption of dye into the material. .

Rue Seed Pods & Stems

The dye from the Rue plant parts creates a nice tan with yellow tones. I found infusing the plant in water under the suns solar heat takes a couple of days for the dye to emerge. Rue can be used as a repellent so I used the water to steer ants away from my front door and off my driveway after I was finished with the dye!

Oregon Grape Berries

I found the dye infusion was immediate with Oregon Grape Berries. To begin it was a beautiful purple that after a few days in the sun deepened into a navy blue shade.

Hollyhock Flowers

The Hollyhock flowers create a beautiful shade of pink. I love being able to pick fresh flower heads to add to the dye pot to continue adding depth to the colour. This is one of the first plants I began infusing in water to create a dye.

Crocsmia Flowers

This plant turns the dye water to a bright orange. However the dyed material turns a bright yellow with orange tones to it. This plant is also one of the first plants I experimented with.

Fennel Seed Pods & Stems

This plant creates a bright green with yellow tones. It takes a few dyes to infuse with water in the sun before the colour emerges for dyeing. One has to be patient.

Read more and see pictures of Hollyhock and Crocsmia plant dyes

Recommended Reading:

Natural Color: Vibrant Plant Dye Projects for Your Home and Wardrobe
by Author Sasha Duerr
The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients
by Author Sasha Duerr
Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes by Author
Rebecca Burgess

by Renee Lindstrom, GCFP–Living in Natures Love Lifestyles insideawareness.com

Right from the dye Pot – Dyeing Cotton with Natural Fibers

Right from the Dye Pot – Cotton Dyed with Plant Fibers

Here are a few examples of cotton dyed with plants from the front and back yard!

Looking at the photo’s you may notice that some of these plants and material where dyed using solar power! It’s fun and easy, simply put plants in a jar, fill with water, add the material and put the lid on. Let it rest until for up to 4 or 4 days, if you can!

Once the material was taken out of the dye bath and hung to dry I didn’t want to throw the dye and plant material in the compost. Longing to capture some of its beauty I made plant fiber paper from it!

This post may contain Affiliate Links for your convenience, thank you in advance for your support! Renee

The garden plants & weeds used with dyed cotton

Bamboo – Leaves

: Bamboo Leaves

: Bamboo Leaf Dyed Fabric

Light shade of sage green

This cotton was prepared with an alum mordant after a soda ash bath.

In this dye bath the bamboo leaves where brought to a boil and simmer with the cotton for a time and left for 24 hours. More leaves where added and it was re-heated. This was left for another 24 hours. For future bamboo dye baths I would choose using solar and continue this process to achieve darker colours.

more on dyeing with plants

Bamboo – Stalks

: Bamboo Stalk Dye Bath

: Bamboo Stalks

Yellow highlighted pale shade of green!

This cotton was prepared with an alum mordant after a soda ash bath.

In this dye bath the bamboo stalks where brought to a boil and simmer with the cotton for a time and left for 24 hours. More leaves where added and it was re-heated. This was left for another 48 hours. For future bamboo dye baths I would choose using solar and continue this process to achieve darker colours.