Homemade rust water (iron mordant) for eco printing

[@clasheen]

Here's the link to my new eBook for those wanting a step by step guide to eco printing in the 'dirty pot'! nicolabrown.ie/shop/new-products/eco-printing-in-the-dirty-pot-ebook/

[@pradippradhan5014]

you are so Creative 💛💚

[@clasheen]

Thank you Pradip!

[@malathiepahathkumbura1298]

Thanks Nicola ❤😊

[@clasheen]

You're very welcome!

[@TheMarieCrews]

amazing!! I've been interested in natural dyes but didn't want to purchase mordants and thought there has to be another way ...finally I found your channel and guess what I have rust in my well water😊😊 thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤

[@clasheen]

You are so welcome! I also have a Facebook group if you would like to join - it is a great source of community and inspiration! facebook.com/groups/nicolabrown

[@clasheen]

I am also running a 'Eco Printing Essentials' free training in just a few hours if you would like to join. Here is the link - members.nicolabrown.ie/5-beginner-mistakes

[@mitchahbw]

whoh that's lovely, thanks!

[@clasheen]

You’re welcome

[@silvanamosca227]

Fantastico ❤

[@clasheen]

Gracias

[@CyclingM1867DubbysMama]

This was fascinating. I'm just developing an interest in this sort of thing, partly because I'm writing a novel in which the main character uses techniques like these, but also for my own personal interest. It's something I want to try. I didn't realise that getting iron water was so easy, and I have the necessary items for it. Thanks for sharing this, and I look forward to more from you. :)

[@clasheen]

Great to hear Michelle, and sorry for the slow reply. I hope your novel is going well!!

[@CyclingM1867DubbysMama]

@@clasheen no worries, and thanks. I'm still doing a lot of research because I keep getting sidetracked, but that's all part of the fun. haha

[@lizswinbank5996]

wow, what a brilliant bootcamp, so looking forward to 2 and 3 x thank you Nicola x

[@awnakaam2178]

nice video

[@mayapermatasari483]

Hi. Nicola. Very nice to see ur video. Thanks for sharing with us 👍❤️🤪

[@clasheen]

My pleasure Maya, I'm glad that you liked it 😊

[@mayapermatasari483]

@@clasheen ❤️

[@Арина_Смольская]

Super cool❤❤❤

[@clasheen]

Thank you!

[@christinelubanski9880]

Hi Nicola, your work is lovely. I just seeing your cool clothing and the processes you use. Thank you Christine

[@clasheen]

Thanks so much Christine, I'm delighted that you are enjoying the videos and channel! Eco printing and felting are both cool processes and working with up-cycled clothing fun as well!!!

[@brie1987]

Beautiful clothing ! If you live in a place with red clay from iron deposits, I guess this may be ok to use. Also to dye the fabric

[@lalithajayasekara4371]

Very important Madam.Thank you so much.

[@clasheen]

You are so welcome!

[@Toondee1]

Thank you for sharing.I am looking for how to do.

[@clasheen]

Have fun!

[@rachelburak6228]

I love this video! So clear and easy to follow...thank you! Do you have a list of some of the other plants that work well with this method?

[@clasheen]

Hi Rachel, you might find this video helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIesf4ejmJxnfas Acer pseudoplatanus, blackberry, cotinus coggygeria (smoke bush) and rosebay willowherb are all wonderful to try.

[@fromp2u]

I've made my rust water! Question - I'm wondering Nicola, if you are dipping the cloth directly into the full strength rust water OR has it been diluted and if so, by how much. Second question - I will be trying the dirty pot (all items now collected!) - but wonder if I might not also just steam the bundle? Hope to hear from you. Lastly, wondering if just dipping the cloth into the rust water (diluted or not?) is how one goes about making a rust carrier blanket? Can you feel my mind racing?! Will be trying all methods to see what happens - but, always interested in hearing from the voice of experience :-) Pasha

[@clasheen]

Hi and many apologies that I missed your comment until now. Yes, I dip my fabric into full strength rust water, no worries! Steaming your bundles will NOT give you anything like the strength of prints that you get when submerging in the 'dirty pot'. Yes soaking fabric in rust water will create an iron blanket but most people who use one are working on mordanted fabric. The results will be different without mordants.

[@sallyjoligocki5011]

Great video! Thank you for sharing.

[@clasheen]

Thanks for watching!

[@djnfrns]

Hi nic, greetings from indonesia. I learned a lot from your vid tutorials. I have a lot of rusty metals at home, i can use as iron water to mordant my plant base fabric.

[@clasheen]

Hi DJ, I'm happy that you have been enjoying my videos and wish you good luck and fun making iron water for your eco printing!

[@KatharineFletcher]

Hi Nicola, what's the proportion of water to vinegar in a boil pot bath?

[@clasheen]

It depends on the size of your pot but you can never really have too much vinegar!

[@beverlea1961]

Hi Nicola. Great video and absolutely loved your huge pot at the beginning of this video. Think I now have pot envy 😍. What do you use to heat the pot?

[@clasheen]

I’m glad that you enjoyed the video Beverley and if it wasn’t my own I’d have pot envy too! It’s wood fired, there’s a little opening near the base and the bottom of the inner pot is baffled so that the flames can heat the most surface at the one time,

[@ASMGHANOUR]

Nicola can we soak the leaves in iron water in place of febric....?

[@clasheen]

Thanks so much for your question. We have made a note of it and will answer during the free upcoming bootcamp. Here is the link if you'd like to register - members.nicolabrown.ie/bootcamp

[@Lana-jr3gh]

Hi Nicola! Love your gigantic pot and your fabrics always fascinate me! You mention you neutralize you fabric post dyeing with soda bicarbonate, is the amount critical for stoping the fabric decaying or should I just eyeball it? Thank you!

[@clasheen]

Hi Lana, great question!!! Eyeball it BUT with reservations......... a pinch is perfect for something lightweight such as a silk scarf but a teaspoon for something heavier like a linen table runner. I scale up according to the weight and size of what I have printed based on these guesstimates. If you use too much you run the risk of damaging your fabric AND modifying your prints/colour.

[@Lana-jr3gh]

@@clasheen thanks for your reply Nicola!

[@clasheen]

@@Lana-jr3gh You're welcome

[@kumuhauolipakele3309]

@@clasheen your tip on the amount of bicarbonate is valuable to me. Aloha! DLP

[@clasheen]

@@kumuhauolipakele3309 Brilliant!

[@jasminmehtala600]

Hi Nicola! I have a question, you said you neutralize the fabric with baking soda after iron water, but aren’t they both alkaline? Shouldn’t the neutralizing be done with an acidic substance, like vinegar?

[@clasheen]

Hi Jasmin, homemade rust water replaces powdered ferrous sulphate (which is acidic) so it needs an alkaline to neutralise it.

[@polaroiddiva]

Can I store the rust water in a plastic bucket with a lid? Also, the Dirty Pot liquid? Lid? My pot is a thinner walled aluminum pot so will be transferring it out after every session. Am excited to get started with this!

[@clasheen]

Yes Cynthia, you can store your rust water or pot liquid in a plastic bucket. With or without a lid. Have fun!

[@barbarabuckles4821]

Hi Nicola, thanks so much for your generosity in posting this wonderful video! Once you have dyed a batch of fabric, do you re-use the water and, if so, how many times can you re-use it? Also, how do you dispose of the water once you want to start a fresh pot?

[@clasheen]

Hi Barbara, I reuse the rust water that I dip the fabric in and I reuse the pot liquid too. Both indefinitely!!! The pot liquid needs to be adjusted depending on the results that I want, that’s something that one learns from experience primarily although I’ll explain things further and give tips in my upcoming eBook! I rarely need to dispose of pot liquid as I like to keep reusing it but when I do I actually just pour it on my compost heap. BTW have you registered your interest in the FREE eco printing bootcamp that I’m hosting next online next week to celebrate the launch of the book? If not please consider clicking this link! mailchi.mp/9734cd00f450/wcprcjp18p

[@barbarabuckles4821]

@@clasheen Thanks, Nicola...and I just registered!

[@clasheen]

@@barbarabuckles4821 Brilliant, thanks. See you next week!

[@vetha_litlov]

Hey! Thanks❣️ Can I know how u used rust water here ?? Did u add it to the bath or dipped the leaves in it?

[@clasheen]

In this case I dipped my linen fabric in it!

[@Self_sphere_]

Hey Nicola, how much iron mordant in the water do we have to use?

[@clasheen]

Hi Fatima, I just want to be clear that I am not adding powdered iron mordant to the rust water! When I make it in an old pot I don't measure the exact quantity of iron, I just do the 40 second dip and that always works very well for me and my workshop participants. Sometimes the rust water looks very orange and other times it doesn't, all works! The colour looks different depending on which pot I make it in so I encourage everyone not to stress, just follow what I share in the video and try it our for yourself!

[@Jessicaschilke]

Great video! Do you know if iron water only works on natural dyes or does it effect synthetic dyes as well?

[@clasheen]

Hi Jessica, I'm glad that you enjoyed the video. Because I never work with synthetic dyes I honestly am not the best person to answer your question. However, since rust water may successfully be substituted for a ferrous sulphate solution during any natural dyeing process if you personally use Fe for synthetic dyeing I think it should work too. I don't know that you would be using it though! On many occasions I have over printed silk that has been dyed synthetically or commercially (bought second hand or given to me as a gift) using rust water and vegetation and it's always worked very well. This may not completely answer your questions but hopefully it will help!

[@Jessicaschilke]

@@clasheen I should have ask a more specific question sorry for the vagueness! I have second hand and up-cycled pieces and I was wondering how the iron water would effect the dyes already on the fabric or if the iron would only effect the newly added dyes.

[@clasheen]

Ah ha Jessica, I understood that you might actually want to dye using synthetic dyes and then print! I have always been very successful up-cycling garments by eco printing in the ‘dirty pot’, regardless of the background colour so just go for it! Of course the colour of the piece may change during the process but I’ve yet to have a result I didn’t like colour wise. Red, cerise and turquoise silk are the most likely to leach colour into your printing pot (wool not so much), they appear to be the least colourfast when using the high temperature necessary for printing without powdered mordants. This doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t try them, just that I wouldn’t guarantee that the background wont change colour quite a bit. Have fun!

[@kasslove420]

I am going to try that i am new here🌱

[@clasheen]

Welcome!! Be prepared, it is absolutely addictive!!

[@feralfreebirds]

So will the beautiful flowers imprinted stay on the fabric after washing ? Do you need to wash in salt after.....looks ace ! 👌❣️

[@hummerklein4902]

I get no picture at all all black

[@clasheen]

I'm not sure why Hummer because the video is playing for everyone else. Can you try a different browser?

[@BatikOetoro-sk5no]

So you make rust water instead of using powdered ferrous sulphate ... get that. BUT you have as the fourth way of making it, basically the instructions for making your 'dirty pot' liquid and this includes aluminium (using the pot as mordant). This would not create just iron water, or rust water, or a source of ferrous sulphate. This fourth method (in the aluminium pot) would be the alternative for a mix of aluminium sulphate AND ferrous sulphate.....

[@clasheen]

Yes Batik, there might be a little influence from the aluminium if making rust water in a pot made from it but that is no problem. The results are excellent when using it

[@NickPanik]

I guess there is only one real question left.....how bout weed ?