natural dyeing with avocado stones
I gave avocado dyeing a go a couple of months ago, it was something I’ve always wanted to try! Being a huge tie-dye lover, I wanted to recreate the trend but in a more sustainable way. I’ve since gone on to sell lots of tie-dye t-shirts using avocado and synthetic dyes, you can check these out here! I wanted to share with you the process I’ve been using since creating my first naturally tie-dyed t-shirt.
You’ll Need
Fabric to dye
5 avocado stones
A large saucepan
A hob
Collect your avocado stones and rinse them thoroughly under the tap to wash off any green fleshy bits. I store my stones in the freezer as it keeps them nice and fresh, a fresher plant makes a more vibrant dye!
2. Soak your fabric overnight in cold/lukewarm water. I found soaking an hour or so before also did the job if you run out of time.
3. Set up your saucepan, put enough water in to cover your fabric and add the stones. Bring the water to the boil.
4. Once the water and stones are boiling bring it to a simmer for around 20-40 mins. The water will turn a pale pink. Keep the lid on!
5. Keep simmering the water until it reaches a deep maroon colour. At this point you can add your fabric to the simmering dye bath.
6. You can either leave your dye bath on the heat or take it off. I like to keep it on the heat for a couple of hours before taking it off and then leave the fabric to carry on soaking in the dye bath overnight. The longer you leave it in the dye the stronger the colour will be.
7. Once the desired shade has been achieved remove your fabric from the dye pot.
8. Rinse your fabric under a cool running tap until the water runs clear off the fabric and hang it to dry. The stones have a natural fixative in them so the colour won’t wash out.
9. Once the fabric has dried I’d recommend giving it a quick and cool wash in the machine. (On my washing machine I use the 15 minutes wash on 30 degrees celsius). Make sure to wash it separately to other clothing as the colour may run!
What I’ve learnt a long the way
The more stones you use the more intense the colour, use as many as you like!
I found stones rather than skins gave me a more pink dye. When I tried the skins it came out a little brown.
You can use the dye as many times as you like without the colour fading but as it is a natural dye it can go mouldy! I’ve been keeping my dye in the fridge(once it’s cooled) and it usually lasts between 2-3 days.
To tie-dye with avocado stones, simply follow this process but tie up your fabric!
All the fabrics take the dye slightly differently. I’d recommend trying this process first with a few swatches of fabric before going on to dye anything special.
I’ve recently purchased Rebecca Desnos book, ‘Botanical Colour at Your Fingertips’ which gives more in-depth instructions on plant dyeing and specifically avocado dyeing. I’d highly recommend her book to learn all the intricacies of the process. There’s also lots of info on other plants to dye with. I’m patiently waiting for daffodils to come back into season so I can create some yellow plant dye!