HOW TO MAKE NATURAL DYE WITH LOGWOOD | ORGANIC COLOR | PURPLE GRAY BLUE | IRON SHIFT | ALKALINE

[@jillbecker9333]

I had heard (read) that natural Fibers but I have been experimenting with white nylon stocking and getting fabulous (and surprising) results. Especially with logwood, annatto, Avocado pits.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Super cool that you've experimented with nylon stockings and getting great results! Another Color Quest-er shared similar findings with black walnut and nylon. Will have to give it a try one day 😊

[@kikinoro6546]

I love watching your videos Margaret! Thank you very much for your helpful videos and calmness you radiate ❤️😊

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are very kind to say, Kiki - I'm so happy you enjoy the videos here at Color Quest 🤎

[@barbaracabrera207]

What gorgeous results!! Love these colors. Unexpected to see black color. Gray tones are super nice too. I like 10% colors best. Thx for another great video. Austin,TX USA

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I feel like I get so many different results each time I dye with logwood. It is such a versatile color and really fun to play with 💜

[@kayliekreatrix632]

Such a helpful video!! I love the details, your observations. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

So awesome to hear the video was helpful - thank you! Hope you get a chance to experiment with logwood - it is yummy!

[@1aliveandwell]

Logwood always seems to have varied results. Am guessing water used also effects (pH, minerals if high iron water).... Maybe you could rinse into a sink size bin so can pour your rinse water into the garden. I sometimes let a dyebath dehydrate to test if becomes an "extract" to use again. Might the diff in purple be from the tannin (or do you tannin w your mordanting?)?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

So very true - I've had wildly different colors with logwood and certainly the environment you dye in will impact results. I did not use tannin in this particular process - only alum (sulfate & acetate) and a few samples with a soy milk binder. Since tannin will also tint fiber, the colors will also be slightly different. This is one of the best parts of natural color in my opinion - variation! Thank you for your suggestion of better water conservation - so very important! Will certainly keep this in mind for future videos.

[@karensylvia517]

Hello I have one more question: Have you ever combined 2 ingredients to make a color more vibrant? Like red cabbage and logwood together?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes, you can mix dyes in the pot, but over-dyeing may be a better way to alter the color. This is when you dye one color first, let it dry and then dye in a different color. I wouldn't recommend red cabbage as an enhanced color because it is fugitive and will fade very quickly. It is probably better to play with the percentages of logwood and try different pH modifiers to see if you can find a wider spectrum of purples 💜

[@jessicabey275]

That was interesting! I collected what I think is Sycamore bark and i am going to try with that.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

So many different trees, so many different colors! Love the sound of sycamore. Not sure we have that tree in these parts, so let me know what you get in your dye pot 🤎

[@jessicabey275]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest I will 😁

[@jessicabey275]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest I forgot to update you! I put it in my dye pot and the bark is water proof. So I didn't get much color but then I collected some more and put some with rubbing alcohol and the other jar vinegar (just to see what happens 🤷‍♀️) and the alcohol jar gave me color and the vinegar jar hasn't done a darn thing.The bark must have oils in it because when I first put it in the pot it smelled like cologne! I haven't done anymore with those

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@jessicabey275 Just love your resolve to keep experimenting even when you hit some bumps 😊 Guess not all barks are created equal!

[@jessicabey275]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest Thank you 😄

[@sanjotvelji7659]

Intresting 👌👌👌👏👏👏👏

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Nothing like exploring natural color!

[@lisawagner6076]

Very beautiful results!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you, Lisa! It was different than I expected, but the surprise is the best 💜

[@maelismelema7550]

Hi ...thank you for your awesome videos. You are so passionate abt these colors. I love ur videos. 💗

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are very kind, Maelis, thank you! It is a bit of an obsession and so much fun to share here at Color Quest 💚

[@maelismelema7550]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest 😍 you have inspired me so much... nice to know you....and to know am not the only one crazy abt natural colors. I will be starting my own experiments soon. Blessings to u. Keep ur videos coming

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@maelismelema7550 Nice to know you as well and it is as inspiring to me to have our community here cheering each other on in our obsession with natural color 😉 Let us know how your experiments go!

[@1aliveandwell]

Found an old jar of used dye wood and wonder how to tel if logwood, sappanwood or brazilwood. Any ideas?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Although sappanwood and brazilwood have a similar color, logwood color is distinct, so I would simply put a piece of fiber into the dye and let it sit for a few days. Personally, I wouldn't worry about identifying the difference between sappanwood & brazilwood. Just enjoy those pink shades 💕

[@rahalya6307]

Can u send d link for d logwood? Wr can I buy tiz mam?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You can see the link in the description above of where I buy the logwood here in the US (Botanical Colors). I'm not sure if they can ship this internationally, but you can check your local dye specialty shops or markets to see if logwood is available near you.

[@karensylvia517]

Hello I have a question hopefully you can help me with, my mom made me a cape for my wedding in 1992, it’s beautiful but it has 3 different materials one is lace trim, but I’m not sure what the other materials are how do I figure out what materials and how to dye the whole thing to look even more beautiful? I was thinking of a purple. 🥰 Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Karen - welcome to Color Quest 💜 Besides the burn test (synthetic fibers burn easily), the only other way I've heard to potentially tell a natural from a synthetic fabric is by 'crushing' the fibers into a ball in your hand for 15 seconds to see if it creases easily. Natural fibers can crease quite easily. Not sure that will work with your cape, but you could give it a try. With natural dyes, you want to work with natural fibers like cotton, hemp, wool, silk, etc. Regardless of the cape fiber, you can always try dyeing it to see what happens 😊 Be sure to wash/scour is very well and pretreat it with a mordant like aluminum sulfate/acetate. Logwood can create beautiful purples, but is known to fade with time. I think every life of a natural color is gorgeous, so why not try it out!

[@karensylvia517]

Thank you so much for your help, I will try it out. 😊

[@lisaweinstein4540]

Hi Margaret! Great video - thank you! what is the ph of your water? I am worried about washing my fabric at the end and seeing a shift in color due to ph and mineral content in my well water.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much, Lisa! My tap water is pH neutral (7). Have you tested the pH of your water? I would do a test run with a few smaller samples to see what happens when using your well water. It is not ideal, but you can always use distilled water for your natural dye rinsing if you find your tap water is shifting things for you.

[@lisaweinstein4540]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest These are the ph scores of my water: Cold 6.2 Hot 6.8 Outside faucet (cold) 6.4 RO 5.5 Distilled 5.5 Normally, I use the tap so somewhere between 6.2-6.8 Should I add something so the dye bath is neutral at 7? So far, I only had a hard time with the hibiscus where it didnt hold the color at all and the tap water shifted the colors to blues when i rinsed it after the dye bath. I just did logwood and the purples were very nice. i tried a darker and lighter bath like your video, plus i made a black with iron.

[@lisaweinstein4540]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest How do I clean my metal pots (aluminum and stainless steel) plus my plastic buckets well so there is no future contamination? It's hard to get all the "stains" out. Some are specifically for iron or iron related. Some are straight for mordant and dye baths. Thank you!!

[@rahalya6307]

Hai mam am frm India ... I would like start eco print nd natural dye clothing business ..can u help me out ?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hello! Please feel free to reach out and ask any questions you may have about natural dyes. I suggest you watch the videos on Color Quest that may interest you. There is a lot of content to get you started 😊

[@davinataylor2189]

Very interesting! I’m trying to find ways to dye my hair purple naturally, is this process safe for hair? I’ll have to do more research, officially entered the rabbit hole 😂

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Totally get the rabbit hole - it is why I created Color Quest! While logwood dye should be safe to use on hair, I'm not sure it would have enough 'oomph' to actually dye hair and would probably not last long. Experimentation is always key, so let us know if you decide to test it out and what happens 💜

[@jillbecker9333]

Soda ash and washing soda are not the same, different chemical content. Can buy soda Ash from a swimming pool supplier.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Both are sodium carbonate which provides the alkaline pH to shift colors and can be used to deep clean fiber as well. Thanks for sharing a place to source to soda ash if preferred 😊

[@jillbecker9333]

Use Natural dyes on natural fibres

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes, that is typically the best option 🌼