plant dyeing and rusting

These instructions outline the processes I use – there are many other methods, but these are the ones that work for me!Fabrics:

• plant dyeing – plain, light-coloured silk and wool (including cut-up recycled clothing and blankets)
• rusting – any plain light-coloured fabric (I use remnants I find in the op shop, cut up pillowcases, curtaining, etc.)

Pans for plant dyeing (dedicate these for dyeing only):

• old aluminium pans – the aluminium acts as a mordant which fixes the colour
• chipped enamel pan – the chips in the enamel expose the iron, which will darken or even change the dye and act as a mordant
• throw in some ironmongery into a stainless steel pan – these will also act as a mordant, as above
• stainless steel pan (no mordant)

Heat sources for plant dyeing:

• an electric hotplate works well
• boil the water first in a kettle or an urn and then pour it into the pans, as it can take a long time to heat from cold on the hotplate
• work outside to minimise fumes (the open air is a much healthier option than working in a confined space; use a mask also if needed)

Plant material:

• eucalyptus leaves
• eucalyptus bark
• silver birch bark
• rhubarb leaves and stalks
• elderberries
• onion skins
• walnut shells
• gum nuts
• any other plant material you can find

Ironmongery:

• old nails
• rusty screws
• old nuts and bolts
• pieces of iron chain
• old pieces of machinery
• any other old bits of iron you can find

Preparing the fabrics for dyeing:

• layer ironmongery in between layers of fabric; roll up tightly and wrap with string to hold the layers together
• layer pieces of bark, leaves or stalks in between layers of fabric; roll up and wrap with string, as above
• crumple up single pieces of fabric; leave loose or wrap with string
• fold up one or more layer of fabrics and clamp between pieces of wood, then wrap with string to hold it all together
• tie knots in the fabric around small bits of ironmongery, gum nuts, seeds or pebbles
• stitch the fabric repeatedly and gather it up tightly, knotting well to hold(this is removed after the dyeing process)

Dyeing the fabrics:

• protect yourself with old clothes and/or an apron; use rubber gloves
• fill the pan with boiling water and chosen plant matter and/or ironmongery (leave enough room to add fabric without it overflowing)
• when the solution is boiling, add prepared fabric; allow solution to come to boil again, then cover the pan and allow it to simmer for as long as you like – experiment! [note: use a stick to push the fabric under the water until it soaks up enough liquid to stay submerged]
• turn off heat; leave fabric immersed in pan overnight or as long as you like
• use rubber gloves when removing fabric and unwrapping/untying it, to prevent staining your hands and/or causing possible allergic reactions
• after removing the plant matter or objects, rinse fabric well in cold running water, then squeeze gently to remove excess moisture
• hang fabric out to dry, away from direct sunlight
• iron fabric if desired (or leave the creases in – it’s up to you)

Containers for rusting paper and fabric:

• 3 large plastic tubs, or kitty litter trays

Suggested paper and fabric for rusting:

• blank art paper
• blank printer paper (ink jet-printed sheets will smudge)
• old sheet music
• obsolete photocopies (do not use anything that breaches confidential information or privacy)
• pages from old books (I like using old poetry books)
• recycled brown paper wrapping
• postal envelopes, opened out
• postal packaging, opened out
• corrugated cardboard from recycled packaging and boxes
• non-glossy junk mail, flyers, etc.

Solutions for rusting (label each tub or tray):

• tray 1 – 100 teabags (cheap brands work well), 4 litres of hot water (soak till solution is a good dark colour, then squeeze out and remove teabags)
• tray 2 – 2 tbspns of caustic soda, stirred into 4 litres of cold water (use a stick for stirring)
• tray 3 – 200 g of iron sulphate, stirred into 4 litres of cold water (use a stick, as above)

Ideas for rusting:

• use rubber gloves and protective clothing, as for plant dyeing
• slide sheets of paper into each tray in turn, draining well each time
• only partially immerse paper when dipping it into one or more of the solutions and allow the liquid to dribble over remainder of paper
• change the order of the solutions as you immerse the paper
• prepare fabrics as for plant dyeing; allow to soak for a while in each solution
• lay paper and fabric in the sun (either still bundled up or opened out) on a plastic sheet (e.g. large garbage bag); use small rocks to weigh them down if there is a breeze
• watch the colours emerge!

Copyright Rita Summers 2013

Examples:

• walnuts (unhusked)
• eucalyptus and wild cherry
• rusting

For more examples, please visit my dye + stitch page …