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Jamie Young - Natural Dye Educator

@thebarefootdyer

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Natural Dye Expert ✨
Sharing how to sustainably dye with plants 🌼
5 star Online Natural Dye Courses & free tutorials 🌿
Austin, Texas

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Fresh flower prints for the new year 🌟🌈

These 100% cotton socks were pretreated with a special mordant solution that allows the dye from the flowers to create an insoluble bond with the fabric. 🌸 This process allows the prints to withstand wash and wear for years. I my mordant recipe exclusively in my online course.💫

Printing can be done on any natural fiber with fresh or dried flowers and leaves. 🌿

Flower printing socks steps

1. Thoroughly wash the socks in hot water (a scour bath is best)
2. Mordant the socks with metal salts
3. Arrange flowers on socks then roll onto a dowel or metal pipe and bundle with string or elastic to secure
4. Steam over water for 20 min
5. Allow to cool then unroll to reveal your flower prints

🌻Today is the last day to receive 50% off my online, self-paced course, Printing with Flowers & Leaves! Use code SPRING50 at checkout.🌻 This course will lead you through the entire plant printing process step-by-step. I share the exact mordanting recipe as well others that will allow you to create strong, clear prints. The video lessons and demonstrations are accompanied by a printable pdf guide that includes instructions and recipes for each process. Participants also have private access to a messaging board where I answer questions daily. 🫶🏼

Happy flower printing season! 🌼

#naturaldye #ecoprinting #flowerdye #tiedye #botanicalaet #botanicalprinting by @thebarefootdyer

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a year ago

Flower printed shoes 🌸

These thrifted white sneakers were the perfect canvas for some flower prints. 💫

Before flower pounding, I applied the aluminum acetate and iron mordant formulation featured in my online course, using a brush to target specific areas of the fabric. Mordanting is a critical step in natural dyeing, as it introduces metal ions that form coordination complexes with the dye molecules. This enhances dye fixation by creating strong bonds between the pigments and the fiber, resulting in greater colorfastness and resistance to washing and light exposure. 🌼

Would you wear flower printed shoes? 🌿

Learn more about natural dyeing through the resource links in my bio 🌞 by @thebarefootdyer

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a year ago

Ecoprinting with wildflowers & natural dyes 🌼

Creating a colorful background for botanical prints doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re new to eco printing and are feeling intimidated by the process of using a dye blanket, you can always dye the fabric before printing like I did for this project. ✨

☀️THE PROCESS☀️

Before being dyed, the fabric must be scoured & mordanted. These pretreatment steps ensure that the dyes will be able to form secure, insoluble bonds with the fabric. If you’re hoping to create clear, strong prints choosing the right mordanting method is essential. My favorite mineral salt mordants for botanical printing are aluminum acetate and iron. ✨

After pretreatment, the fabric can be dyed with any natural dye. I worked with Brazilwood for this project. 💜 After dyeing, the fabric should be rinsed to remove any unbound dye. Then the plants can be arranged onto the fabric before being bundled and steamed to transfer the dyes from the plants to the fiber. 🌿

I worked with beautiful, sustainably foraged, greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium) for this project. They grow as an abundant wildflower in my area and make a perfect printing flower due to their high levels of flavonoids and tannins. 🌼✨

I share the entire eco printing process and my exact mordanting recipe in my self-paced, online course Printing with Flowers & Leaves. 🌸 Currently 50% off with code SPEING50 🌼

All resource links are in my bio ♡ by @thebarefootdyer

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2 years ago

Who else wants to eco print all of their clothes with flowers? 🌷🌼✨

Let’s be flower wearing friends 🌿☀️ by @thebarefootdyer

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2 years ago

Who else is excited for spring eco printing? 🙌🏼🌿

What flowers are you growing this year? 🌼

My garden is growing slower than normal this year but I’m so ready to have fresh flowers again. I had another battle with coreopsis beetles but I think I won and they’re finally growing strong. ✨

So excited to see what everyone will create this year! 🧡 by @thebarefootdyer

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We had so much fun bundle dyeing these beautiful Playsilks and wooden eggs from @sarahssilks 🌸🥚✨

Bundle dyeing is a simple, kid-friendly natural dye technique that can be used on a variety of substrates, including silk and wood.

Mordanting the Silk:

1. Weigh the fabric that will be dyed while it’s dry to determine the weight of fiber (WOF)
2. Calculate 10% WOF of aluminum acetate or alum.
3. Dissolve the mordant in warm water and soak the silks for ~3 hours.
4. Rinse thoroughly after soaking.

Mordanting the Wooden Eggs:

1. Make a strong mordant solution by dissolving 1. Tbsp aluminum acetate or alum in 1/4 cup warm water.
2. Using a paint brush, apply 3 coats of the mordant solution, letting each coat dry completely.

Why Mordant?
Mordanting ensures that the natural dyes are able to create secure bonds with the fibers, making them more vibrant and longer-lasting. Skipping this step results in softer, less durable shades.🌈✨

Dye Combinations Used:

✨ Butterfly pea flowers, red onion skins, and yellow onion skins
✨ Butterfly pea flowers with a touch of citric acid
✨ Cochineal, coreopsis, marigold, sulfur cosmos, and butterfly pea flowers
✨ A “mystery silk” created by my 7-year-old—he definitely used logwood and cochineal, with a possible mix of black knight scabiosa and sulfur cosmos

Our wooden egg collection is growing, we love adding a few new eggs each year. I’d love to hear if you give this a try! 🐣

If you have any questions, feel free to drop them below. 🌿 by @thebarefootdyer

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2 years ago

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Yellow onion skins are one of the most colorfast food waste natural dyes 🧅✨

They’re capable of creating a range of colors from bright, sunny yellow to rich gold. With a post dye iron dip, the colors can be shifted to rust and chocolatey browns. 🧡🍩

The crispy outer skins of yellow onions contain high levels of tannins as well as over 25 flavonoids. Tannins protect plants from uv damage and those protective properties transfer onto naturally dyed fabric - helping tannin rich dyes to be more lightfast. ☀️

Creating dye with onion skins is much like making an onion skin tea. Simply cover the skins with water and heat on med-low for around an hour or until you’re satisfied with the dye color. The skins can then be removed before the fabric goes into the dye. Remember that the fabric will be 2-3 shades lighter after being rinsed and dried so be sure to let it soak in the dye on a low heat until the color looks a little darker or deeper than you’d like. 🌼🧡

I think these warm yellows and golds are the perfect for spring. What about you? 🌼

#onionskindye #zerowaste #plantdye #thebarefootdyer #naturaldyeing #botanicaldye #slowtextiles by @thebarefootdyer

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2 years ago

How to Dye with Avocado Pits or Skins 🥑🪄

1. Pretreat the fabric using either a protein binder or mineral salt mordant. ✨You may be tempted to skip this step but proper pretreatment is vital to achieving strong, long lasting colors. I cover multiple pretreatment methods in my online course and also have a detailed YouTube tutorial on pretreating with soy milk.
2. Cover well cleaned avocado pits or skins with water and heat on low for 1-2 hours.
3. Allow the dye to rest in open air and oxidize for a few hours. ✨ This step is optional but it will allow the condensed tannins to oxidize and become more pink.
4. Remove pits and/or skins from the dye.
5. Soak pretreated fabric in water for at least 20 minutes then wring out excess water.
6. Add fiber to the dye and keep it moving for the first few minutes. Stirring in the beginning, as the dye is finding the fabric, helps with even color uptake.
7. Heat on low for around thirty minutes - stirring occasionally.
8. Remove the fabric from the dye and rinse well.
9. Consider making a lake pigment with the remaining dye.
10. Enjoy!

Here are some additional tips that may help you along the way:

- Hass avocados create the pinkest dye

- Either pits or skins can be used but pits tend to make a pinker dye. Skins contain more flavonoids that can yield more deep orange to red results. If working with skins, pretreating with protein and keeping the fabric in the dye for a shorter time often yields truer pinks because flavonoids need time to bind to protein.

- Keep the heat low for the truest pinks - higher heat will change the molecular structure of the tannins and shift the dye to a peachier color

- Clean the pits or skins well before using

- Increasing the alkalinity will shift the dye to pinker tones

- Pits and skins can be used fresh, frozen or dried but fresh and frozen give the brightest pinks.

Have you worked with avocado dye yet?🌿 All resources listed above are linked in my bio 💫

#naturaldye #avocadodye #plantdye #thebarefootdyer #foodwastewarriors by @thebarefootdyer

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2 years ago

Join @jamielouiseyoung , natural dye expert and founder of @thebarefootdyer , for an immersive workshop on creating stunning, sustainable color from everyday food waste. Discover how avocado skins and pits, onion skins, and pomegranate rinds can transform into rich, natural dyes to bring new life to your fibers.

In this hands-on session, you’ll learn the art and science behind extracting color, tips for achieving vibrant results, and eco-friendly techniques to use at home. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned crafter, this workshop is the perfect way to explore the beauty of natural dyes while reducing waste.

Sign up online at martindaleyogaandwellness.com to reserve your spot, spaces are limited. ✨ taken in Martindale, Texas by @thebarefootdyer

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👉🏼❤️ Comment LINK and I’ll send all the info your way!

Join me to learn the art of natural dyeing from the comfort of your home! 🌿✨ My self-paced online courses are 50% off right now, and I’ll be with you every step of the way. You’ll have access to a private message board where I answer questions daily and offer personalized support. Let’s create beautiful, sustainable colors together. 🌈🌲✨ by @thebarefootdyer

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Japanese maple leaves make the prettiest prints ✨

👉🏼✨Comment HAMMER & I’ll send you a tutorial where I share the entire leaf pounding process. It’s one of the best natural dye techniques to do with kids & such a fun way to make holiday gifts. 🎄

How it works:

1. A barrier is placed inside the shirt, between the front and back layers to keep the dyes from bleeding through.
2. Leaves are laid onto ✨pretreated✨ fabric, covered with a piece of plastic, paper, or cloth then hammered to transfer their natural dyes onto the fabric. If the fabric has been mordanted, the dyes will bind with the mordants and become fixed into the fabrics.
3. The skeleton of the leaf is peeled away, leaving its beautiful print behind.

Red Japanese Maple leaves make blue prints due to their high concentration of anthocyanins but they also contain a variety of other dye constituents such as flavonoids, tannins, and Carotenoids.

Do you have any questions? Feel free to drop them below! 🌿 by @thebarefootdyer

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