Insta-Answers No. 1

Hoping this can be an on-going thing here. Weekly, even daily, I receive messages and comments regularly about natural dyeing. It is hard for me to respond to every single one of them. I also don't believe in with-holding information about natural dyeing. It is important to foster an open and supportive online community around natural dyeing a slow craft textiles. So here is our first installment of Insta-Answers. 

1. @thesandyanna asked "Can I freeze my avocado pits before I use them for dyeing? 

Answer: You can totally freeze them. Just clean them first and then store them in the freezer. The say before I start an avocado pit dye bath, I'll set them out to defrost. 

2.@kate_anderson asked "you've been testing whether flowers make color, how do you go about doing that? 

Answer: So when I test to see if flowers produce color, I'll take a handful of the material (flowers) and put them in a glass jar. Then boil water in a tea pot then pour the steaming water in the jar and over the flowers. If the desired dye material produces color after about 10 minutes the water will transform from clear to colorful. 

3. @badgirl_zozo asked "I was wondering if you had any tips for making the color last. I am only using vinegar as a mordant." 

Answer: Vinegar is highly acidic so if the dye bath is pH sensitive it is possible that the dye with not take to the fiber or it will turn the bath. I suggest using mordants that do not shift pH like soy milk, alum potassium sulfate, chalk to start. 

Send in your questions with on my instagram posts and I might answer then on here.