Natural Dyes

Experiments in foraged and natural dyes

Indigo Experimentation

Iron, henna, and fructose indigo vats were used to create these samples. All three are natural indigo vats, which means they’re easy to dispose of without harming the environment, and they’re safe to work with on a regular basis without worrying about health issues.

Samples include different styles of resist dying: Katazome, Rice Paste, and Shibori.

Eco-Printing

As part of exploring natural dyes, I experimented with eco‑printing—a process where leaves, flowers, and other botanicals leave their pigments directly on the fabric. I played with a mix of foraged plants and things from the kitchen, noticing how each one created its own kind of mark. I also tried different approaches, like using dry versus fresh materials and soaking things in iron-rich water, to see how the results would shift. Each piece ended up being completely unique, shaped by the plants themselves and a lot of curiosity along the way.

Sun Dyeing

I also experimented with solar dyeing, letting fabric and botanicals steep in sun‑warmed jars—basically like making sun tea, but for cloth. For these “sun teas,” I used red and yellow onion skins to build the dye baths, then played with different fabrics and varied the soak times to see how each combination would shift the color.