HOW TO ECO-PRINT WITH A DYE BLANKET | ORGANIC COLOR | LEAVES TANNIN ALUM MORDANT | MADDER LOGWOOD

Leaves make for wonderful eco-prints on textile & paper to create beautiful natural designs in any season. Enhance your print with the help of a dye blanket (carrier blanket) to add a gorgeous background color and soft leaf outlines. Join me as I forage for fallen leaves in Washington, including the vibrant Japanese maple, to explore the interaction of tannin, alum and iron with dye blankets of madder and logwood. This tutorial will show you different mordants (tannin/alum/iron) to pretreat your textile, how to make a dye blanket and create a beautifully designed autumn leaf eco-print on both silk and cotton. You are sure to be inspired to step into the natural printmaking world.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction - Autumn leaves for dye blanket eco-printing
1:44 Japanese maples leaves for dyeing
2:53 Foraging vs buying dye matter
4:37 Mordants for target fiber - tannin, alum & iron
7:22 Dyes for carrier blanket - madder & logwood
9:06 How to make a dye blanket
10:27 Eco-print 1 - tannin target fiber
15:09 Eco-print 2 - alum target fiber
18:29 Eco-print 3 - iron target fiber
22:15 Eco-print results on silk & cotton
22:45 Wrap-up
24:35 Sneak peak of next video tutorial
25:13 Natural dyeing resources - free pdfs and paid digital course
26:16 Blooper
SUPPLY LIST
Leaves (tannin rich) - aspen, maple, birch, oak, eucalyptus, rose, etc.
Fiber for eco-print - silk & cotton shown in video
Cotton fiber for dye blanket
Tannin/alum/iron mordants
Gloves
Scale
Pot with lid
Steamer
Tongs
Spoon
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Bowl (for iron bath)
Scissors
String
Dowel
Plastic barrier - repurposed
Paper barrier - parchment paper shown in video
COOKIN' COLOR DIGITAL COURSE - Self-paced video workshop on the basics of natural dyeing and a step-by-step demonstration of an ombre dip-dye technique on textile: www.margaretbyrd.com/cookin-c...
DOWNLOAD FREE NATURAL DYER'S QUICK START GUIDE - 11 tips to a successful natural dye practice: margaretbyrd.ck.page/natural-...
DOWNLOAD FREE COOKIN' COLOR BREW BOOKLET - 4 natural dyes to make from food in your kitchen: margaretbyrd.ck.page/cookin-c...
MORDANTS & DYE MATTER - Where to buy
botanicalcolors.com/
ABOUT MY CHANNEL
Color Quest is a creative channel where we explore the wide world of natural color! If you love using organic materials in all of your arts & crafts projects, join me as I share tutorials and vlogs on how to find and create a rainbow of color from plants and the earth they live in.
I'm passionate about natural dyes and pigments which I use extensively in my art practice, so I'm thrilled to share my curiosity, excitement and knowledge of nature's palette with you.
xoxo - Margaret, aka Byrdie
FOLLOW ME:
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Instagram: / moonbyrdie
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Website: www.margaretbyrd.com
Blog: www.margaretbyrd.com/trailtales
MUSIC:
Playground Fun
by Ahjay Stelino
mixkit.co/free-stock-music/
Ukelele Song
canva.com
George Street Shuffle by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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#naturalcolor #organic #artsandcrafts #naturaldye #tutorial #diy

[@Chris.Faassen]

Beautiful results! 🌼 wow.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, darlin! Super pleased with all of the gorgeous variations too 🍁❤️🍁

[@1leggedgirl]

I was struggling to find information on the effects of different natural dye fixatives online, your section on mordants was super helpful for me. Thanks!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

It can be hard to find tutorials on mordants and other processes - that's why I decided to start Color Quest 😉 I have a playlist here called Mordants if you want to see all of the video content here on this super important topic. Very happy it has helped you!

[@fabali6380]

These are beautiful!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Many thanks to you, Fab!

[@Toondee1]

Looking good thank you for sharing.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Many thanks for stopping by!

[@danielagaviria4811]

im so grateful for this information! thank you

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are so welcome, Daniela - have fun!!

[@yvonneventurelli2676]

Meraviglioso..grazie grazie grazie.video meraviglioso...❤❤❤❤❤.un aiuto piu chiaro e fantastico nn poteva essere...☺

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Sono così felice che il video ti sia piaciuto e che lo abbia trovato utile. Benvenuti nella famiglia Color Quest 🤎

[@neesheeneeshee6433]

I loved the silk❤

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Silk is so yummy and is magical with eco-printing 🤎 Thanks for being here at Color Quest, Neeshee!

[@jessicabey275]

That's cool!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I've really fallen in love with using a dye or iron blanket. The effect can be so magical!

[@dearyful]

Awesome! ❤

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yay! So happy you stopped by 🌼

[@juanelllemon4833]

Oh my yes. I’m set to ‘roll’ and steam. 😉

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yay - I'm so excited for you, Juanell! You are going to love it 🍁

[@711yada]

Great video, thanks!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome - happy you liked the video! Hope you have fun experimenting in the dye studio 🌼

[@blumenaue7590]

This is so new to me. Very cool.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Happy to hear! Welcome to Color Quest 🌼

[@user-zh8fo3bb6f]

감사합니다.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

당신은 가장 환영합니다. 🌼

[@hastiirani8249]

Thanks

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome!

[@sanghamitranift]

It's beautiful!! Can we transfer the dye to the carrier if the blanket has been dyed a long time ago? I have a few madder and marigold dyed pieces of fabric which I dyed around 8 months back. Was wondering if they will act as dye blankets

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much 💕 It was a lot of fun too! I've only tried using freshly dyed blankets, but why not try it out? I'm not sure if the madder and marigold will have any dye to share, but it is always a wonderful way to learn through experimentation. Let me know what happens - would love to hear about it!

[@101jody]

Great video! What kind of paper did you use for the barrier paper? Can it also be used if you simmer instead of steam? Is that regular saran wrap? Thank you.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Many thanks, Jody! The barrier paper I like to use is parchment paper. I've tried brown butcher paper but found that it sometimes would transfer its brown color to the fiber. I typically steam my eco-prints because the print will be more clear than immersion, but I would imagine parchment paper would be fine. For the plastic barrier, I always try to repurpose plastic bags from packing material. I think saran wrap would be too thin and difficult to work with. Good luck!

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Hi. Thanks for always sharing your knowledge with all of us and answering my queries. How do we make Henna annatone blanket?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Happy to share. I've never made a henna blanket, so you'd need to experiment with that 😊

[@cloudnine9100]

so beautiful wow. does the print eventually disappear thankyou

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I just love using dye blankets to add color to a botanical print 🤎 In general, if you properly mordant your fiber, the print should last for quite some time with only minimal fading. Mordants are the secret trick in natural dyeing 😊

[@makulatura1]

Hello, love your videos and thank you so much for your inspirational work. Because I am a beginner, I have one question. As I understood, you are steaming madder and logwood for an hour, then adding fabric in the hot water, not steaming just waiting to cool down. Or did I understand it incorrectly and you are steaming dye fabric as well? thanks in advance

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome and thank you for joining us here at Color Quest! Basically, we are creating two dye baths, madder and logwood, to make our dye carrier blankets. The madder and logwood dye matter are simmered in water for 1+ hour to make the dye and then you add the cotton 'blankets' to the pot to dye the fiber for about an hour. These dye blankets are then placed over the top of the target fiber where your leaves are in order to transfer the dye color during the steaming process. You roll the two fibers together, tie the bundle and steam for 1.5 hours. Have fun!

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Hi pl guide me how to get green prints of leaves when ecoprinting on silk. Thanks

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You should pick leaves that are known to print well and pre-treat your silk in alum only. It will give you the mordant power without coloring your fiber.

[@ludouglas1]

The dye blankets were disappointing I'm glad I didn't try it. I think I'll just put logwood on a dye pot and eco print as usual so i get some of the beautiful prints on a purple background.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Sounds like a plan - enjoy!

[@esmeraldacassandra3949]

I am happy with your ecoprint video. I have a little bit confuse about iron powder you use in video, because i am beginner. Iron powder is fe ( grey color)? Or iron powder is iron sulphate( blue-green color)?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Esmeralda 💚 The iron powder is ferrous sulfate and is a greenish color.

[@deborahcost217]

What silk would you suggest for an eco printed scarf? I was thinking silk chiffon, silk charmuste, or Haboti. I’m a beginner. Love your videos.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much, Deborah 💕 I have only tried eco-printing with silk Haboti, but I would imagine most silks would be wonderful to try and experiment with until you find the fiber you like best. Silk is truly the easiest fiber to work with in natural dyeing in general - it just loves natural color!

[@sirlenemedeiros3570]

Oi Adorei o vídeo 👏👏 Parabéns mas não entendi poderia traduzir por português

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Also can we soak the target fabric in dye -1 2-can we have different dyes on target and blanket.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are welcome to try any of these ideas, but I would stick to some of the stronger dyes for the blanket itself so it has a better chance of transferring its color to the target fiber. Experimentation is the best!

[@djuanadaysable]

I've been working to get the beautiful shade of Indigo from the logwood but I haven't been successful. I'm using muslin cotton.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I was surprised that my logwood blanket turned out so blue, to be honest. I was expecting more of a purple color. I had pre-treated the cotton earlier with aluminum acetate (this is not necessary with carrier blankets), so that may have impacted the final color. Plus, I only used exhaust shavings that had been used once before, so that would also influence the color. I was very careful with my heat, so perhaps try soaking your logwood in very low temps and leave it the bath for several days. It's tough to say exactly why I got such a deep blue.

[@ecopalbyajaanzz9696]

Thanks 🎉.What is the best material for a dye blanket (carrier blanket)

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

In the video, I recommend a heavier cotton for the dye/carrier blanket. I tend to repurpose old sheets or cotton rags for my blankets.

[@mariaceciliaalvarezacuna7126]

Que mordiente uso en seda y en algodón? Gracias!!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

El mordiente más común para la seda y el algodón es el alumbre.

[@goldbadge15roxannakelly89]

Mine turned green

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Sounds cool 💚

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Do we heat the dye bath make of logwood powder and cook the blanket. Pl tell me how to make blankets with powders/extracts thanks

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I have not used powders/extracts much, but I would assume you work the same way by making a dye pot (per the extract instructions) and heating your dye blanket in it. You typically need much less of the extract than working with raw material, but you should have measurements recommended by the supplier of your powder extract.

[@deborahcost217]

Do you mordant the dye blankets before dyeing? Maybe I’m over thinking.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You don't need to mordant the dye blanket itself since the idea is to transfer the dye color from the blanket to the target fiber. You will want to mordant your target fiber so the color has the best chance of bonding 😊

[@nilushairoshiniwithana5113]

Thank you. This channel of yours was very important to me. A good opportunity to learn the unknown.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

This makes me so happy, Nilusha 🌼 I love knowing Color Quest is a helpful tool in learning about natural color!

[@nilushairoshiniwithana5113]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest ❤️❤️❤️

[@mariamphiroz]

Can i treat the dye blanket with mordants before using them? So that i can use them as well in the long run

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Mariam - thanks for the question 😊 The reason you don't pretreat the dye blanket with a mordant is because you don't want the dye to bind with the blanket, but rather transfer to the target fiber. You can always use your dye blankets in the future as target fibers and mordant them at that point to help to bind the color.

[@mind.body.creative]

Hi Margaret, I hope you address this question. Is it possible to bundle dye or Eco dye with flowers and leaves on an already dyed fabric? This already dyed fabric is cellulose and dyed with madder powder. Ofcourse I have mordant with tannin and alum. I find blanket method a bit intimidating. Can I eco dye my madder fabric the other way?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hello 😊 Thanks for your question! Yes, you can simply use the madder dyed fiber as your target fiber and eco-print on it with a simple binding process. You can find several videos in the Eco-Printing playlist showing different techniques. The result will be different from using a dye blanket, but it will still produce a print. Pick leaves/flowers that will not be overwhelmed by the red fiber. Once you are comfortable doing that, why not try the blanket method to try something new 😉

[@mariaceciliaalvarezacuna7126]

Margaret ese paño.rojo le pusiste mordiente?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

No, la manta de tinte no se morda porque desea que el tinte rojo se transfiera a la fibra impresa ❤️

[@mariasolangelopesdosanjos829]

Amo vê teus vídeos ! Ainda bem que tem tradução pra português !!! Bjosss

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Que doce! Muito obrigado por suas amáveis ​​palavras. Estou feliz que a legenda oculta esteja funcionando!

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Hi for how long do you keep the blanket fabric in dye bath? Also do you heat the blanket along with the dye bath?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I typically keep fiber in a dye bath for 1+ hour. You can remove when you feel the color is deep enough. I did not heat the dye blanket on the stovetop, but added to the simmering dye pot after I removed it from the heat.

[@nirjamohunta4102]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thank you sooooo much.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@nirjamohunta4102 You bet!

[@Toondee1]

I am from Thailand.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

What an amazing country you live in 💕

[@Toondee1]

Thank you so much.

[@mariaceciliaalvarezacuna7126]

Margaret que mordiente usó en seda. Y en algodón?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Para el algodón, lo mejor es usar acetato de aluminio y para la seda, sulfato de potasio y aluminio (alumbre). También puede usar tanino como mordiente en ambos.

[@Eris..88]

hello ma'am! Hope you are good. In this video you gave steam to the fabric for eco printing and in your another video you put tin (wrapped with leaves and fabric) in water. Our professor asked us to watch your video and perform as an assignment... I wanted to ask what would you prefer giving steam or just putting in boiling water ?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hello there - such a wonderful question! I do not prefer one method over another, but the effect can be different depending on what materials you are dyeing. With leaves, they need more time in the heat so placing them in water makes the process shorter. With flowers, however, they can release their color quite quickly and steam can keep the colors from running. It is best to try different methods to see how they impact the results differently. It is both art and science 😊 It is so amazing to know your professor is using the Color Quest videos for teaching - love it 💕 Best of luck!

[@Eris..88]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thank you ma'am 😊 means alot

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@Eris..88 You are most welcome!

[@Toondee1]

l have subscribed your channel.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much! Welcome to Color Quest 🌼

[@conniepalme5978]

HELP! I’m confused. Do you dye fabric before you place flowers or leaves and roll then steam? Or do you roll and tie then dip in dye? And when and how is a dirty pot used. Thank you

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Connie - sorry about the confusion. If you watch the whole video, I think you will see exactly what to do. This process uses a dye carrier blanket to go on top of the target fiber where you place the leaves. You dye the carrier blanket with the madder/logwood, place it on top of the fiber with the leaf design, roll the two together and steam the bundle. The dye color will transfer onto the target fiber leaving the background color around the leaves where they print on the bottom fiber.

[@conniepalme5978]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest you are correct. I watched again. Wow. Beautiful job. Thank you Margaret. Great teacher. Very thorough.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@conniepalme5978 You are most welcome, Connie! Hope you get a chance to try it out 🌼

[@lucy4880]

Did you mordant the dye blankets?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Lucy - no, I didn't mordant the dye blankets. You want the dye from the blankets to easily transfer to the printed fiber, so no mordant is needed 😊

[@nirjamohunta4102]

How long to keep the fabric in dye To make dye blankets

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Nirja - I see you found the dye blanket video 😊 You can soak the dye blankets for 1 hour in the dye.

[@deborahcost217]

Can you use dried leaves and flowers to eco print? Thank you

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes, you can used dried dye matter for eco-printing. Depending on the plant, it may produce a different result, but that is what makes it magical 🌼

[@deborahcost217]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thank you so much!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@deborahcost217 My pleasure!

[@eaglerider11]

I really struggle trying to take in spoken instructions with music playing at the same time. Am 7.42 into the video and need to take a break as can no longer concentrate with the distraction going on at the same time. Such a shame as your instructions themselves are lovely and clear.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I am sorry to hear the music makes it hard for you to follow the video instructions. It is a tricky balance when creating video content for so many different types of learners. Perhaps you can use the CC (closed captions) option at the bottom right corner of the video so you can have the visual element of subtitles and mute the sound. Just an idea to consider 🌼

[@kingdumbass9787]

my research has told me that logwood shouldn’t be inhaled or absorbed through the skin while dyeing. How do you handle toxic materials in this case especially since you do it in your kitchen?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You can take many precautions when working with natural dyes if you are concerned about toxicity: wear mask & gloves, work on a heat source outside or stick to cold dye processes, and always have separate pots and utensils only used for your dye practice. Safety precautions are a personal choice, so stick to what makes you comfortable.

[@lucy4880]

Do you think it's possible to transfer indigo via dye blankets?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Great question, but the answer is no because of the unique nature of indigo. Logwood is a great alternative for this 💙

[@lucy4880]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thank you!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@lucy4880 You bet!

[@deborahcost217]

What was used on carrier blanket to color it blue pls? Also, could you tell me the leaves that you used for eco printing here? I know maple, and oak are good. Others pls? Wish you were in my area to teach. Wonderful videos!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

The blue carrier blanket was made with logwood exhaust. It starts off more of a reddish color when you first soak the chips, but it turns to a blueish purple with time. I just grabbed any leaves I had in my neighborhood (maple, alder, birch, rose), all of which will act a bit differently in an eco-print environment. There are some leaves that will transfer much of their color (eucalyptus, sumac, maple) while others will be great for creating resisted shapes. Best way is to just start collecting and experimenting! Thanks so much for joining us here on Color Quest 💚

[@deborahcost217]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thank you for answering back and all of the help. Hope you don’t mind but I have another question. I want to make a carrier blanket. Do I mordant it like I do my target fabric. And also can I use either fruit like blueberries or chili powder to dye the carrier blankets. Thank you so much!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@deborahcost217 No, you don't want to mordant the carrier blanket since the idea is to have the dye transfer to the fiber you are printing on 😊 I chose madder and logwood because they are more traditional dye matter and commonly used for carrier blankets. Of course, you are welcome to experiment with any organic matter, but blueberry is not a stable dye source, and to be honest, I've had very little success with any color coming from chili powder. I understand you may want to use these types of food-based colors because they are easy to access, but you may want to invest in some traditional dyes for this type of process.

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Hi I just brought cochineal. I was wondering how should I use it in ecoprinting. Blanket or tf dye? It’s expensive

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You can use cochineal for either side of your ecoprinting. I've had some incredible results using it as a dye blanket, but you can always dye your target fiber with cochineal first and print on the pink fiber. Why not try both ways? If you make one dye pot of cochineal, you could prepare both the dye blanket and the target fiber together and then work on your two ecoprints. Would be fun to compare them too! By the way, I've been working with cochineal for the past month, so you can find many videos specific to cochineal. It is expensive, but a little goes a long way!

[@nirjamohunta4102]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest should we mix anything with cochineal like a little tannin or any other dye To make it work better?

[@nirjamohunta4102]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thanks so much for sharing your knowledge

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@nirjamohunta4102 You don't want to add any mordant for your dye blanket so the color can more easily transfer to your target piece. If you decide to dye your target fiber with cochineal on its own, yes, you should use a mordant. Tannin is a good choice - even better tannin + alum. Check out the videos on cochineal if you want to learn more.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@nirjamohunta4102 You are most welcome.

[@mariaceciliaalvarezacuna7126]

Hola soy de Santiago de Chile ¿alguna opción en español? Gracias

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

¡Hola desde el noroeste del Pacífico! Lamento mucho que no puedas ver los subtítulos en español. Puede encontrarlos yendo a su ícono de configuración, activando los subtítulos y seleccionando traducción automática donde tiene la opción de idiomas. Puedes agregar subtítulos en español como este a este video. ¿Lo has probado?

[@mariaceciliaalvarezacuna7126]

Gracias Margaret!!

[@nirjamohunta4102]

Should we soak our leaves in iron water?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I don't typically soak my leaves in iron water, but you are welcome to try it. You may get an immediate reaction between the iron and the tannin of the leaves, so be sure to watch it carefully. Experimentation is the best way to learn 😊

[@nirjamohunta4102]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest thanks so much

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@nirjamohunta4102 You are most welcome!

[@virginiaperks4110]

i love your content, but the music is not really needed, just a thought :)

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Virginia 🌼 Music is a tough choice to make - some love it..others don't. I'm trying to do a mixture in my videos now of off/on, but it's hard to please everyone 😉