Valerean

Before I get into eco-dyeing, I thought I might test some other methods I've read about for dyeing white cotton thread. The first was using permanent markers. Using markers definitely gives you more control of where and how much color you want to put on your thread. To get even coverage you have to color one side, flip the thread over and color the back. The colors look a bit different (my sky blue was more green on my base thread) and I couldn't manage an ombre-type fade, but otherwise it's fairly simple. I let the thread dry, and them gave it a bath. That was when I learned that Sharpie marker colors can bleed. I had another set of Bic permanent markers that actually had the two colors I want to use for my dyed thread, so I tried again. Bic markers did not bleed at all. This method is good if you only want to dye a small amount of thread, and you color bleed-test first. I think it would be a hassle (and the markers would probably run dry) to do a...

I'm considering eco dyeing my own textiles, so I invested in Abigail Booth's The Wild Dyer , which is both a guide to making natural dyes and a project how-to book. The author really did a nice job with this book by providing simple, clear instructions on how to make and use eco dyes, and adding lots of photographs for reference. The projects in the book are mostly small, and look interesting, so I might give one of those a whirl. There's also a handy list of eco-dyeing resources at the back that I found invaluable. At the back of our property we have a couple of plants that are perfect for eco-dyeing, like this pokeberry (note: these are poisonous to ingest.) The beauty berry plants haven't ripened yet, but they are even more abundant this year. The only thing that has held me back from eco-dyeing my own textiles is the time involved in the process, both to learn how to do it and experiment. So if I try it, I'll probably do a very limited amount...