Eco dyeing - Part Two


"Part two?" (I'm sure  you're saying,) "When was there a part one?"

Well, "part  one" was about a year and half ago.  Which is why you *may* not remember it.



And I'll forgive you if  you have. ;)

Last time I was doing bundles of cloth wrapped in vegetable matter which I had variously boiled, steamed, stewed and let rot for a month. Yummy!



Well this time, I did compost dyeing.  

Which is pretty much what it sounds like. You takes your cloth, you takes your vegetation, you throw it in a plastic bag, and you bury it in the garden. 


I used rayon fabric as my carrier (I find that rayon takes up dye BEAUTIFULLY (even in some cases better than cotton and silk), I added my vegetation, and I also added scraps of coloured fabric.  Just for the hell of it, 'cuz I wanted to see if the coloured commercial fabrics would pick up any of the vegetation, and if so, how.


^ This one is particularly cool, isn't it? I think it looks like old, diseased skin - perfect if it I ever make a zombie, or someone really, really ill. :D



But back to our story, so the really interesting thing that happened with the coloured commercial fabrics, is that they didn't pick up any vegetation (although there were some "spine" resists) but they *did* end up transfering colour to the rayon - which is why I have those beautiful brilliant pinks and purples and teal as well as the lovely browns and beiges.


Some of the fabrics actually rotted as can be seen above - and my yucky skin one is so fragile from said rotting I don't think I'll actually be able to use it.

And another reason I won't be able to use it?  The SMELL. ERHMAGAWD THE SMELL.  lol

When I opened up the bags, the bags themselves had torn and eroded, so dirt had gotten in, as well as insects and worms (ugh)  - and the fabric was so slimy and putrid looking, I didn't even know if it could be rescued.  After a lot (like, a LOT) of rinsing, I realized they could be washed and used - so I washed them.  Four times. Because the smell of rotting vegetation wouldn't come out.

And then I soaked them in a bucket of detergent and Febreeze for another week because the smell still wouldn't come out.


And it still hasn't.  So the fabric isn't actually usable - I figure eventually, I'll use these photos and make the fabric on Spoonflower or some other site like it, and I'll be able to use it that way.

But I don't think I'll be doing much more eco dyeing in the future.

Back to the procions and disperse dyeing for me!

And back to the shirt piece on Wednesday!

Kit 120

Kit Lang

10 comments:

  1. eegads that is a spectacular result with the staining from the commercials! And i kinda like the rotted ones--maybe some baking soda and vinegar?

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  2. its so nice of you Kit to do the experimenting so I don't have to - LOL - on the other hand if I want to make something that needs Zombie skin - with a realistic smell to it - I know exactly how to do it!! All teasing aside though - the texture on the rotten one is just too interesting!

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  3. I was just going to say like Nina Marie,
    I am glad you have done this and have gone on and on about the smell. This was on my list of 'things to do'. but now it is Off. :) I did try grass cuttings though, but the fabric was too rotted to use.
    Do you think it would be less smelly if it was done for less time? I do like the transfer of colour from the commercial fabrics.
    Sandy in the UK

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  4. LOL! I swear I don't remember arlee's mentioning the *smell* when she talked about her eco-dyeing...Think I'll stick to the chemicals too! Still, ya gotta love what the commercial fabrics did to the rayon.

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  5. Arlee doesn't do compost dyeing - she has a very cool thingy that she steams/cooks her fabric in:

    http://albedoarlee.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/cookin-in-the-rain/

    Avoding all that nasty smelling stuff!

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  6. Here's some videos of her process:

    http://albedoarlee.wordpress.com/2010/10/31/im-ready-for-my-closeup-mr-demille/

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  7. So GLAD you mentioned the smell issue over and over. Like the others I don't think I will be trying this process any time soon thanks to your help! I really love what the commercial fabrics did to the rayon though! I wonder if that would have transferred without the vegetable matter in the bag? Perhaps some wet fabrics buried in a bag in the garden would work? Can you try that and get back to me on it? hahaha

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  8. I've never heard of compost dying before! I love to compost, but glad to know that fabric doesn't compost dye well LOL. That's a great idea to take a picture (or scan it) and send to spoonflower! I love the rayon vibrantly colored one. I know I've said it before, but I really really want to start dyign fabric. Maybe these posts will get me going. Do you know of a good mail order place for dyes? About all we have in town is Rit...

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  9. Ive done the eco dyeing and now have a mountain of rusted and eco dyed cottons/rayons/silks/lace and stuff lol yet to be used for anything.

    I didnt use the compost bin and may give that a miss now...
    But I did leave the odd fermenting bundle outside for weeks on end, having forgotten about them......and yes, the niff can be overpowering, so true !

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  10. My first thought was, "How did I miss part 1" You are so funny. I am actually picturing you digging up this putrid fabric and soaking it in Febreeze with a clothes pin on your nose. Too funny. Looking forward to the shirt.

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