Join me as I learn how to dye fabric naturally using plants. Today I am experimenting with goldenrod (solidago canadensis). Goldenrod is a wildflower that grows in abundance on wasteland throughout the British Isles. Native to North America, goldenrod can also be found in the wild in much of mainland Europe and throughout large parts of East Asia. It is considered invasive in many areas because it grows fast, spreads rapidly, and copes with poor soil.
Not all plant dyes are colour fast or wash fast. Food waste is a popular first project for people curious about natural or botanical dyes, but many food waste dyes fade fast, and are known as fugitive dyes. Berries, for example, will give beautiful deep colours at first but quickly fade to beige.
Goldenrod is known to be quite colour and wash fast, which is important if you want to dye fabric or yarn to use in a sewing, knitting or crochet project.
In this video I show you how I used goldenrod to dye 100g of untreated cotton calico. I used aluminium sulphate as a mordant, and ferrous sulphate as an after bath to create the green shade. Whilst I discuss my method and show you my results in the video, I am just a beginner myself. For more information about natural dyeing from people who have much more experience than me, please visit the following websites:
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***SAFETY ADVICE!!!***
Just because you are dyeing with natural materials, it doesn't mean that it is safe to touch or ingest those materials. Natural dyes can still be harmful to humans and animals alike. It is recommended that you work in a well ventilated space, wear gloves, take care to avoid splashing liquids on skin or clothes as they may stain, and keep animals and young children away from dyes, spills and traces of dyes and mordants. Always keep metals and powders out of reach of animals and children. My policy is to treat my dye baths as though they contain bleach, as thinking this way reminds me to be careful and to clear up after myself.
Always dye in a separate pan to those you use for food preparation, and use separate utensils too. When working with iron, use stainless steel and a separate wooden spoon to those you would use for dye baths that don't contain iron. This is because ferrous sulphate has a dulling effect on natural dyes and a wooden spoon once used to stir an iron bath may contaminate a future dye bath, altering the colours you work hard to achieve.
If you're new to my channel, hi! My name is Stéphanie and here on Eighteen and Cloudy I make peaceful videos about heritage crafts, the passing seasons, nature, veganism, sustainability, and my organic vegetable garden. Most of my videos are silent 'no talking' vlogs with subtitles [CC]. I suppose could best be described as 'slow living' themed, as they are slow paced and celebrate the natural world and little joys to be found in paying close attention to the passing seasons. If you've enjoyed this video, why don't you have a look at the other videos and subscribe to my channel to stay in touch. Good luck with your natural dyeing adventures, I hope you have fun!
#naturaldye #silentvlog #fiberart
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