IN THE SPOTLIGHT…Before you dye…

Before you dye…

Like any adventure you will need supplies…it is really better that you have items that are not ever used for food preparation – go for 2^nd hand where you can & save your money (ask family and friend if they anything at the back of a kitchen cupboard that are no longer used, charity shops and car boot sales are good places).

The basic six to start

1. Time – this is not an instant process, it cannot be rushed, slow down and enjoy the adventure, it is not a race!  Time is needed to prepare your fabric, time for making the dye and time for drying too.  Quite often you will see that a dye bath can be left overnight… or even longer in some instances.  Enjoy the journey that dyeing will take you on.
2. Fabric – 100% cotton …white cotton T-shirts are easy to get hold of and relatively inexpensive, you can also use white cotton shirts…the buttons thread are synthetic and will not dye.  Other cotton fabrics include calico (prewash for shrinkage, durable and a good choice for crafting), muslin (lovely soft frape), linen, hemp and bamboo fibre.  All of our dyeing information is for these plant-based fabrics (cellulose fibres).  Currently we do not provide dyeing information for protein-based fibres (silk & wool), I haven’t had the time to adventure along that route!!!    
3. Baking soda – yep, another use for that kitchen essential that then sits in the cupboard because we can’t remember why we needed it!  In the first stage of preparing your fabric you must wash it: there are natural substances, and additives from the milling process, that protect the fabric, however they can prevent the dye from bonding (particularly for readymade T-shirts and shirts.  Calico is an unfinished cotton and subject to shrinkage on first wash).  No washing powders or fabric conditioners can be used as they can add dye inhibitors, so a good spoonful of baking soda, cheap and safe, will do the trick.
4. Soy Milk - 1ltr unsweetened & unflavoured, diluted and used as a fabric soak.  Easy to get hold of, cheap, but it does take time… needs several rounds of dipping and drying so I tend to prepare a batch of fabric at the same time then store it until I want to use it.
5. Stainless steel pan - you want to keep your own cooking things separate from anything you use for dyeing so ask around, try family friends, charity shops, car boot… at this stage bigger is better (10ltr) bigger enough for a T-shirt with room to stir!
6. Spoon for stirring – you can use old wooden spoons but would need a new one for every dye so use a stainless steel spoon and wash it between dye colours!  And keep it just for dyeing.

And that is the basic six things needed to dye… and then it is time to explore the plants, the veggies, herbs and the flowers you have in your garden – and if you want a plant that does it all (including helping wildlife) then check out Pot Marigold

the basic six and more