Onion skins are one of the most accessible natural dye sources. They're easy to collect, require minimal preparation, and produce beautiful warm tones ranging from soft yellows to deep ambers. This tutorial walks you through the entire process, from collecting skins to achieving consistent results.
Start by saving the outer dry skins from yellow or red onions. You'll need about one cup of packed skins for every 100 grams of fiber. The process involves simmering the skins to extract color, then dyeing your pre-mordanted fabric in the resulting liquid.
One of the joys of working with onion skins is their reliability. Unlike some natural dyes that can be unpredictable, onion skins consistently produce warm, earthy colors that work beautifully for home textiles like curtains, table linens, and decorative fabrics.
This month, we're featuring a community project that combines the ancient art of indigo dyeing with traditional Japanese shibori resist techniques. Shibori involves folding, twisting, or binding fabric before dyeing to create intricate patterns.
Our featured maker, Sarah, shared her process for creating a stunning table runner using multiple shibori techniques. She used itajime (clamp-resist), arashi (pole-wrapping), and kumo (pleat and bind) methods to create a layered, complex pattern in varying shades of indigo.
The key to successful shibori is understanding how the resist affects dye penetration. Tighter binding creates lighter areas, while looser wrapping allows more dye to reach the fabric. Experimentation and practice lead to the most interesting results.
Madder root holds a special place in the history of textile dyeing. For over 5,000 years, this unassuming plant has been cultivated specifically for its ability to produce rich, lasting reds. The root contains alizarin, a compound that creates colors ranging from soft pink to deep rust depending on the mordant used.
Historically, madder was so valuable that it was grown in dedicated fields and traded across continents. The famous "Turkey red" of the 18th and 19th centuries was achieved using madder root with a complex multi-step process involving oil, alum, and careful temperature control.
Today, we can access madder root powder easily, making this historic dye accessible to modern makers. Working with madder connects us to generations of dyers who relied on this plant for creating beautiful, colorfast reds.
Growing your own dye plants is one of the most rewarding aspects of natural dyeing. Not only do you have a fresh, sustainable source of color, but you also develop a deeper connection to the materials you work with.
Start with easy-to-grow plants like marigolds, which produce vibrant yellows and oranges. Coreopsis offers similar colors and blooms prolifically. For reds, consider growing madder or dyer's chamomile. Woad and Japanese indigo can provide blues, though they require more space and specific growing conditions.
Plan your garden with dyeing in mind: plant enough to harvest without depleting your garden, learn the best time to harvest each plant for maximum color, and consider companion planting to support healthy growth. Many dye plants are also beautiful additions to any garden, serving both aesthetic and practical purposes.