Oops, forgot to mention that. Yes, it is better to give it a gentle wash first if it is new fabric. If it is old bed sheets or similar, it will be fine as is.
Hi Louise. Gorgeous pieces and immense gratitude for this course! I read recently that using old/preloved fabric usually gives better results because they have had many years of wearing and washing, resulting in the fibres being imbued with alkalines of washing detergent and soaps plus all the chemicals our human bodies add to the mix over time!
Yes, that’s right. We can scour new fabric (which I haven’t covered in this course) but old fabric is always going to dye better because the years of washing have removed the natural oils and pectins that coat plant fibres and prevent the dyes from bonding.
Fabric bundles are simmering away in the pot… going to be patient and let these babies sit overnight for maximum saturation. Hard to wait, but I can do it! Hahaha! ๐ Thank you for this fantastic course. Treasuring the process. ?
I loved working with the fabrics! how satisfying is it to untie a bundle?! And those ain’t fragile. Niiice. And it makes a bit of a crackling noise which makes it even more exciting… Now I need to learn to be more patient with the boiling process, ha ha ๐ thank you Louise!
Hello, I did some fabric and paper bundles with my son yesterday we picked up flowers and leaves from our garden, he was super excited. But today there is no clear print of foliage or colors like yours everything is blurry and grey. Did I miss anything?
Hi Cindy, it’s hard to say without seeing the results or knowing what plants you used. Do you want to post in the Facebook group or email me (gumnutmagic@gmail.com) It would be that you needed to wrap it tighter, use less plant material, use more, or add in some onion skin for colour. It could be the type of paper too. There are lots of variables which sometimes makes it tricky to work out what the problem is. I know it is frustrating, but when I started eco-printing I had a year of bad results! I’m sure we can get you some good results in less time than that.
I am so enjoying this course. Each day I canโt wait to start the next step of the learning process. Louise your instructions are thorough and easy to follow and I could listen to your accent all day Thankyou for sharing your wealth of knowledge
Fabulous Louise!! I have so much red onion dye at the moment and have been soaking a few jars for a week or so now .. cannot wait to try this!! If I use wider fabric do you lay leaves on one side & fold over until you can wrap it easily around the can? Thank you so much for making these tutorials available .. soaking it up!! ๐ Jac x
Hi have just unwrapped my fabric and paper bundles, at first they seemed extremely dark, but as they dried out, and I ironed them I discovered there was some lovely prints from eucalyptus leaves, rosemary, and dried acacia leaves, so very happy with end result ๐
I might have missed something…do you leave the cotton bundles in the dye bath overnight after simmering them for an hour (like you did with the paper bundles) or do you unwrap them sooner? Or is it up to me to decide how long I keep them in the dye bath? Can they become too dark if left for too long?
Yes, you can decide how long to leave them. When cooking in plain water I often remove the bundles as soon as they are cool enough to handle. When cooking it in a dyebath, leaving it overnight will help the dye to produce darker colours that have bound to the fabric. It is unlikely that they will become ‘too’ dark, unless you want a light result, in which case just keep an eye on it as it cooks – and keep in mind that the colour will lighten as it dries.
Finally had time to get started 3 Paper bundles on jars and a non rusted can in a dye pot of Avocado skins and pips with acorns…the supermarket wouldn’t give me onion skins for food hygiene reasons! Bubbling away as I type this. Fingers xed… excited! Iron mordent brewing and cans soaking in solution…Phew.
Hello, Louise, I hope you are well? I’m going to try on paper but I found maple leaves last week and they are all dry … Can I rehydrate them? In water or in vinegar ??? And how long ??? and for rose petals, is it the same? Thank you and good day
Hi Louise, I’m enjoying the course very much. I’m having a bit of an issue clicking back onto making an iron mordant. When I click that link in the side bar it takes me to the page with the overall course selections for purchase. Can you help? I started the mordant when I read that section, however I believe it said to add vinegar every ??? days and wanted to check back on that. Thanks, Karen
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry, I’m having a few website issues. If you try again later, hopefully you will be able to access the lesson. Let me know. You only need to add more vinegar when you use the mordant, or every few months if you aren’t using it.
33 Comments
Can I just check……do you have to wash the material before hand?
Oops, forgot to mention that. Yes, it is better to give it a gentle wash first if it is new fabric. If it is old bed sheets or similar, it will be fine as is.
Hi Louise. Gorgeous pieces and immense gratitude for this course!
I read recently that using old/preloved fabric usually gives better results because they have had many years of wearing and washing, resulting in the fibres being imbued with alkalines of washing detergent and soaps plus all the chemicals our human bodies add to the mix over time!
Yes, that’s right. We can scour new fabric (which I haven’t covered in this course) but old fabric is always going to dye better because the years of washing have removed the natural oils and pectins that coat plant fibres and prevent the dyes from bonding.
Fabric bundles are simmering away in the pot… going to be patient and let these babies sit overnight for maximum saturation. Hard to wait, but I can do it! Hahaha! ๐ Thank you for this fantastic course. Treasuring the process. ?
Haha we all know your pain! I donโt always wait, but it is better, especially on paper.
WiFi poor here so I missed how long to simmer bundles for? Thanks Mary Pat
About 1 hour, although it may need longer if your fabric is slow to pick up colour.
I loved working with the fabrics! how satisfying is it to untie a bundle?! And those ain’t fragile. Niiice. And it makes a bit of a crackling noise which makes it even more exciting… Now I need to learn to be more patient with the boiling process, ha ha ๐ thank you Louise!
Unbundling is the best isnโt it! Hehe, yes, eco-printing is asking lots of us to learn more patience. Itโs always worth the wait!
Hello,
I did some fabric and paper bundles with my son yesterday we picked up flowers and leaves from our garden, he was super excited.
But today there is no clear print of foliage or colors like yours everything is blurry and grey.
Did I miss anything?
Hi Cindy, it’s hard to say without seeing the results or knowing what plants you used. Do you want to post in the Facebook group or email me (gumnutmagic@gmail.com)
It would be that you needed to wrap it tighter, use less plant material, use more, or add in some onion skin for colour. It could be the type of paper too. There are lots of variables which sometimes makes it tricky to work out what the problem is. I know it is frustrating, but when I started eco-printing I had a year of bad results! I’m sure we can get you some good results in less time than that.
I am so enjoying this course. Each day I canโt wait to start the next step of the learning process. Louise your instructions are thorough and easy to follow and I could listen to your accent all day Thankyou for sharing your wealth of knowledge
Thank you so much for the kind words, Lesa! I am so enjoying sharing this with you all and seeing your wonderful creations!
Fabulous Louise!! I have so much red onion dye at the moment and have been soaking a few jars for a week or so now .. cannot wait to try this!! If I use wider fabric do you lay leaves on one side & fold over until you can wrap it easily around the can?
Thank you so much for making these tutorials available .. soaking it up!! ๐
Jac x
OK!! Just noticed how behind I am and you address folded bundles in week 3!! I’ll work my way through the tutes ! x
No problem. You aren’t behind, you are just doing it in your own time ๐
Yes, that would be a perfect solution for wider fabrics.
Hi have just unwrapped my fabric and paper bundles, at first they seemed extremely dark, but as they dried out, and I ironed them I discovered there was some lovely prints from eucalyptus leaves, rosemary, and dried acacia leaves, so very happy with end result ๐
How wonderful, glad to hear it! Yes, the wet results can be deceiving.
I might have missed something…do you leave the cotton bundles in the dye bath overnight after simmering them for an hour (like you did with the paper bundles) or do you unwrap them sooner? Or is it up to me to decide how long I keep them in the dye bath?
Can they become too dark if left for too long?
Yes, you can decide how long to leave them. When cooking in plain water I often remove the bundles as soon as they are cool enough to handle. When cooking it in a dyebath, leaving it overnight will help the dye to produce darker colours that have bound to the fabric. It is unlikely that they will become ‘too’ dark, unless you want a light result, in which case just keep an eye on it as it cooks – and keep in mind that the colour will lighten as it dries.
Hi Louise! Does the olive green come from purple onion skins plus the iron, or yellow onion skins plus the iron (or both?).
Thank you!
Yes, both can give shades along the olive green spectrum
Finally had time to get started
3 Paper bundles on jars and a non rusted can in a dye pot of Avocado skins and pips with acorns…the supermarket wouldn’t give me onion skins for food hygiene reasons!
Bubbling away as I type this. Fingers xed… excited!
Iron mordent brewing and cans soaking in solution…Phew.
How wonderful! Hope you got some good first results. Gosh, what a bizarre excuse from the supermarket ?
Hello, Louise, I hope you are well? I’m going to try on paper but I found maple leaves last week and they are all dry … Can I rehydrate them? In water or in vinegar ??? And how long ??? and for rose petals, is it the same? Thank you and good day
Hi Marie, yes just rehydrate them in warm water until they are soft – a few minuets is usually enough time.
Hi I am really enjoying this course thank you so much for taking the time to share <3
Thanks Yolande, I’m so glad to hear that
Hi Louise, I’m enjoying the course very much. I’m having a bit of an issue clicking back onto making an iron mordant. When I click that link in the side bar it takes me to the page with the overall course selections for purchase. Can you help? I started the mordant when I read that section, however I believe it said to add vinegar every ??? days and wanted to check back on that. Thanks, Karen
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry, I’m having a few website issues. If you try again later, hopefully you will be able to access the lesson. Let me know. You only need to add more vinegar when you use the mordant, or every few months if you aren’t using it.
Ok thank you.