Botanical Fabric Dyeing
Most people that grew up in the sixties would have explored the world of tie die. Our tie dye t shirts proclaimed to the world that we were a new generation. Peace and Love! Unfortunately, that dye was not very environmentally friendly and so I started researching the world of botanical dyeing. Fabric choice: It turns out that fabric is either cellulose (plant based) or animal based. Cotton and linen come from plants, and silk and wool come from an animal – the silk worm, or wool of an animal. Animal fabric accepts dye much easier, and so does not need to be scoured, just washed gently. Scouring : In order to open the fibres to ready the cloth for dyeing, it has to be scoured, which means the fabric needs to be boiled in a mixture of washing soda and soap. Use a large pot, preferably stainless steel, and only do as much fabric as will allow movement. In my large pot I scoured 5 dishcloths, 5 tote bags...