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Natural Dyeing Endeavors 101

 I've been interested in experimenting with natural dyeing for about a year now, so I finally decided to give it a go. This first attempt was definitely a learning process, but I really enjoyed the project as a whole.

I started out by choosing elements to dye from this chart. I proceeded to follow their instructions as well, that can be found at the top of the web page. Initially, I chose blueberries and coffee grounds. The blueberries gave a beautiful shade of burgundy, but the coffee had a different plan. I repeated the same process as the blueberries, but it barely made a noticeable difference and then was completely washed away. Note to self, don't waste good coffee on dyeing fabric; do yourself a favor and drink it. The switch was then made over to walnuts. I was overly pleased with the lovely shade of dark brown it gave.

To make the striped pattern I chose for this dress, I simply took small rubber bands and marked off each section I wanted to dye. Instead of dipping the entire dress into a fabric like the instructions suggested, I dipped only the sections between rubber bands. It definitely soaks up the dye, creating larger sections than  initially marked off, but if you're aware of that ahead of time you can plan to make the sections a bit smaller than desired. 

I think I've found a new hobby I might start indulging in more often. Are there any skills or techniques you've been interested in lately? 

Hope your day is off to a great start.


Comments

  1. very pretty! xx

    www.head-toefashion.blogspot.com

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  2. omg! very cool. I really like that dress.

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  3. This is amazing. I've been wanting to naturally dye faberic for a while now and I LOVE that you shared that little chart! That skirt is absolutely beautiful!

    www.radmagiclove.com

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  4. LOVE this outfit! The colors are perfect!
    jennybodell.blogspot.com

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  5. The skirt looks lovely! I might have to give this a try :)

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  6. the skirt looks great. :) i LOVE experimenting with textile dyeing and printing. it's one of my very favorite things.

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  7. Oh my goodness, you've turned this skirt so hipster. IN LOVE with it.

    www.eatblogpray.blogspot.com
    xo

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  8. lovely! was the original skirt that orange-y color?

    #8o3
    Meghan
    alionheartblog.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. Meghan,

      Yes! The original color of the dress is burnt orange. Thank you for the kind words!

      Kinsey

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  9. What a great dress! I have been thinking about natural dyes too, so now I think I might actually do it!

    http://theoccasionalindulgence.blogspot.com/

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  10. This is such a wonderful idea, I've never tried natural dyes but I'd definitely like to. This dress looks lovely xo

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  11. that brown came from walnuts? incredible!

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  12. Stunning! Seriously!

    http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com/

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  13. nice outfit!

    alysamadisunshine.blogspot.com

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  14. I've been experimenting with natural dyeing and eco printing for almost two years now and it is still so much fun. the dress looks stunning!

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  15. Gorgeous results. :)


    What color was the dress originally?

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  16. I can't believe you made that skirt from natural foods! So pretty :)

    http://sartorialstateofmind.blogspot.com/

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  17. Wow, that is so neat! It turned out beautifully. It's your colours too!

    Loulou

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  18. This is gorgeous! I love all things natural, and this is at the top of my list of coolest naturally made things I've seen.

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  19. really great dress.

    Check out my interview wtih Janalyn from August Wrinkle!
    xthesimplethingsx.blogspot.com

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  20. the skirt turned out amazing! gorgeous tones :) i'll have to try this sometime!
    xo dana

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  21. I love me some tie dye!

    www.samspinkslippers.blogspot.com

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  22. wow the colors came out so vibrant! I've been wanting to try natural dyeing for quite some time too. any specific resources you used to figure out which products work the best?

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  23. Thank you for this! I did coffee as well and beets but it didn't turn out very well.. But I want to try again :)

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  24. Certainly going to give this a try. You dress turned out so pretty.

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  25. Like the final result! I will have to try it too! :)

    xx Elle
    http://www.talonsetbonbons.com/

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  26. For a first try, this is pretty amazing!

    Having a go at natural dying has always been on my to-do list, but I have been scared it will go bad. Now I will have to make sure I try it!

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  27. The dress turned out so pretty! I would definitley take a closer look at it if I saw it in a shop :)

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  28. love ur skirt

    do u want us to follow each other? xxx

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  29. I absolutely love your blog :) I just now followed . Please check out my blog as well. http://abeautifulheart07.blogspot.com/ thanks :0

    xoxo.
    Jenna

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  30. I just found your blog and it's so amazing i can't even. Well, you got yourself a new fan! And i love the dress! Looks amazing!
    Could you maybe to some kind of tutorial how you edit your photos? Lots of love!

    http://pinkvanilia.blogspot.com

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  31. That's a great chart. Thanks for sharing, the dress looks amazing!

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  32. The dress looks awesome! I would love to try this :)

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  33. Ahh! I absolutely love the idea of natural dying. Anything that involves less chemicals has to be worth a try! Thanks for being a guinea pig, I can't wait to try this as well.

    Chelsey
    http://makeoverthemediocre.blogspot.com/

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