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NATURAL DYE with ONION SKINS

One of the things I like the most about dyeing with natural colours us that you can found the source of the colours at home.


The skin of the onion is something we normally throw away when cooking, Here I'm going to explain to go how to dye a cellulose fabric with onion skins.


What you need:


-Natural Fabric like cotton (already scored and mordanted, and moistured)

-Yellow Onion skins

-Wooden or plastic spoon

-Old cloth or cheese mousseline

-Sieve


Step 1


Put the onion skins in a pot and cover them with water; the amount depends on the final colour you want to archive, I'm using a 1:1 proportion, which means the same amount of onions skins as the weight of the fabric.


Step 2


Heat the pot at low temperature for about 1 hour,

Mix with a wooden spoon.


Step 3


After 1 hour turn off the heat and check the colour, if you already have a bight colour you can continue to step 4; otherwise, you can leave the pot overnight this aloud the skins to release all the colour.


Step 4


Past the tint through a sieve, with an old cloth, to remove the onion skins and all the dirt that can stain the fabric.


Step 5


Clean the pot and put the tint back, one by one dip the fabric on it, you can add more water if you need it, the fabric should be cover in water all the time.

Put the pot back to heat at low temperature for another hour; during this time mix well the textile to avoid stains.


Step 6


After 1 hour check the colour, if you are satisfied with it, turn off the heat and remove the fabric, drain it very well; otherwise, leave it to soak overnight, it depends on the final result you want to archive.


Step 7 and the last step


Dry the fabric in the shadow. After one or two weeks, you can wash the fabric with gentle soap, preferably by hand.


Check my youtube video to see the process.



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