- 1). Rinse the plants and vegetables with water to ensure they are free from dirt and bugs.
- 2). Break, cut or crush the plants and vegetables into small pieces.
- 3). Combine the vegetable and plant material with water in the glass or steel pot (other metals may affect the color of the dye). Be sure to keep each color separate. Use 4 gallons of water for every 1 lb. of plant or vegetable material.
- 4). Bring the water and plant or vegetable material to a boil. For red and yellow dyes, turn off the heat immediately after the water begins to boil. Let other color dyes simmer for an hour. If the color of the dye is too light, add more plants or vegetables and continue boiling.
- 5). Add ¾ tsp. of aluminum sulfate and ¼ tsp. of cream of tartar for every quart of water in each pot. Mix well with a spoon. This mixture will serve as a mordant to keep the color from fading once the fabric has been dyed.
- 6). Use cheesecloth or an old pair of pantyhose to strain the vegetables and plants from the dye. Throw away or compost the plant and vegetable products, and pour the dye back into the pot.
- 7). Place the fabric (cotton fabric works best) in the pot with the desired dye color and simmer for one hour, turning every several minutes. Alternatively, you may soak the cloth overnight.
- 8). Move the fabric directly from the pot to the sink or hose for rinsing. Rinse until the water runs clear. Then gently squeeze the fabric to eliminate excess water and lay out in the shade to dry. The dye may continue to run afterward, so don't wash the fabric with other clothing.
- 9). Refrigerate any leftover dye for future use.
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