black bean dyed ribbon
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 at 12:25PM
elizabeyta in dye, ribbon

I checked out the book Natural Color from the library.  The theme was to dye fabrics with foraged or compostable materials.  Oh, I am done with this bit in the kitchen but I can use that bit for dye type of thing  I now own the book.  

I have gone down a rabbit hole when it comes to dyeing.  I am starting to wonder, what will happen if I boil that or infuse this and then add silk.  I am making my own ribbon for my slips and nightgowns.  Well, maybe not nightgowns but I have thought about it.  I like simple white linen.

The last pot of black beans I made, I saved the soaking liquid.  Strained it.  Brought it to a boil and added silk.  I let that boil away for about an hour or so.  I wanted pale colours.

Then I divided the fabric into thirds.  One I left alone.  One I added to black bean water with soda ash added.  One tub had iron sulfate added.  I let this sit overnight.

Three different colours of ribbon.  With interesting tones.  They are varied and I swear in different lights they look pinkier then I expected.  Pink?  Really?  The one that had a soda ash added has a bit of a lavender hue in certain lights.  

It just makes me wish to do more.  I want to walk and find pecans and acorns and see what they do.  I have pumpkins that I am roasting and I am thinking about boiling their innards and left over shells before I add them to the compost.  And then there is purple cabbage.  I really like the color that purple cabbage creates.  

But I have been asked to start working outside.  Due to smell.  I need to clean out the not quite finished tea house for that!  And raise the floor.  Today it would be flooded.  Gravel and a propane bottle are needed to proceed.

I did post some ribbon for sale in my Etsy shop.  It is what I am not going to use in the near future.

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