I tried dyeing fabric with ✨elderberries✨ | Will It Dye? Ep.4

Hello everyone and welcome to a new video!
It's been a little while since I've done one of these, but I'm still so interested in natural dyeing that when I spotted these berries at the back of the garden, I had to give it a go. In this episode, I go through the basic steps of natural dyeing and how I've tweaked them slightly to this project since I didn't have a berry specific recipe. In this case, I used some elderberries from an elderberry tree in my garden. As always, please do your due diligence if you're looking to forage and use foraged goods: make sure it's legal to forage what and where you're foraging, ensure you don't take so much there is not enough left for the wildlife, and that what you're using is not toxic for its intended purpose. I used the berries to dye four meters of lightweight linen for a dress.
If it wasn't for the spider infestation (why are spiders in trees?!), I would be trying this again on a smaller quantity of fabric and for less time to achieve different results. I also wanted to add that in the future, I probably won't machine rinse the fabric straight after dyeing, and instead I'll manually rinse it and just use the spin and drain function on the machine (I was sure I wouldn't be able to drain the fabric properly by hand because there were four meters of it!). I'll keep an eye out for other things around that I can use for dyeing and please, leave any recommendations of dyestuffs you'd like me to try down below!
The book I mentioned can be found here: amzn.to/3qVhjsD
-- OTHER EPISODES --
Episode 1: Mexican Mint • Will it Dye? Episode 1...
Episode 2: Pine Cones • I tried dyeing fabric ...
Episode 3: Rowan Berries • I tried dyeing fabric ...
Playlist • Will It Dye? Adventure...
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[@fionastewart2085]

A tip for dyeing linen is it doesn't take the mordant as well as animal fibres, so you can premordant with tannin and then you can use washing soda in you alum mordant bath t9 help it be absorbed. although this alkali will turn elderberries more green so can be left out or try soaking berries in vinegar for a few days before using for a deep purple from the berries. Often it takes 2 alum baths for linen too for some dye stuffs. I love the wild colour book by Jenny Dean as a great guide to experimenting. Whatever you brew up is a great experiment and lots of fun to watch. Thanks for continuing natural dyeing video series on your channel.

[@CatsCostumery]

this is a great tip, thank you!

[@coreygilles847]

I too would have freaked out if spiders came out of berries I had foraged. This was so interesting to see. Thanks for sharing your dying adventures ❤

[@karlaverbeck9413]

Elderberry makes a nice wine too. So nice to have a plant in your yard that can do so many things.

[@sarahball1683]

I love the dyeing series! I'm always curious to see the different outcomes. When you did the close up shot of the berries, my eye went right to the spider webs and I thought "ohh no... I don't think I'd be able to handle all the bugs that come from naturally dying..." Maybe if you drown the berries outside in a bucket the spiders can flee to the yard rather than into your kitchen?

[@CatsCostumery]

I think it's a lesson learned for next time for sure 😂

[@MsHedgehog]

The bucket trick also works for separating out leaves and stuff when picking berries. The berries are generally heavier and sinks, leaves and bugs generally float.

[@lornadavis476]

I was always told that dying "must" be done in an enamel pot. Metal changes the color. Of course if you want the effect that iron gives, a big old cast iron pot works 😉. Frankly I prefer elderberry jelly. The last time my mother made it, it stained the strainer and the color never went away! 😊

[@CatsCostumery]

I didn't know this! Guess I'll have to try to find an enamel pot next haha

[@NemuiDoraneko]

I really like this series, it both satisfies the curiousity and is still very chill and cozy. I feel like many experiment/diy series tend to be slightly too high energy and too much for when you are not feeling well, while this is just perfect ❤

[@lynnecurran1787]

Cat, it's easier to put them all in the pot and mash them up with a potato masher. ❤ I love the way it turned out. Sorry about the spiders. 😢😢

[@maxmolloy]

Or a stick blender would have done the job in no time.

[@davidbayley4441]

Sticking them in a ziplock bag, then in the freezer overnight will burst the berries, and also kill of any creepy crawlies

[@Callmeapollo1]

Generally speaking, fabrics dyed with berries tend to fade to gray over time. The red and purple colors don’t tend to hold up over time

[@SimpleDesertRose]

Get yourself a stick blender. Total time saver. It will smash up those berries in no time. I love this will it dye series. I had wanted to do a mulberry dye this year but I ended up making making jam and eating a bunch. My duaghter had a dance that she was going to and wanted to do regency for this dance complete with historical undergarments which I used the last if my lighgweight linen on. Oh well next spring. 😉

[@ParkrosePermaculture]

Thanks for sharing this project! I appreciate SO MUCH when folks share what didn't go quite as planned. I look forward to seeing your witchy winter dress! PS - You can safely handle all parts of the elderberry as long as you don't eat them! The wood was used to make arrows by indigenous tribes in Western North America. I prune my elders with bare hands and it's no big deal, but ingesting any part of them except for cooked berries = toxic and a big no-no. Thanks again for sharing

[@espere_]

I love natural dye videos, even when they don't quite go to plan! I find it so interesting. Can't wait to see your future experiments, and what you make with your dyed fabric!

[@judykoontz6828]

You made a beautiful Grey violet grunge fabric! It will make a beautiful dress with dark Grey or dark purple trim!

[@peggyriordan9857]

Really liked the final look of the coloring on the fabric. I think the different colors makes it look like a watercolor painting technique which I love. I'd be very interested in seeing what happens with the pink color that it was in the beginning. If it comes out the same, what a pretty watercolor look would that be!! Thanks for showing us this experiment.

[@lyndaholloway5469]

Natural dyes are always a surprise. I am sure the internet has all you need to know about Elderberry dyes. The best to you.

[@farangarris2598]

I dyed a skirt in ekder juice worked out well. Love your bravery to try new things. Good job.

[@bonniehyden962]

You're in England; I'm in Texas. Our elderberries are on bushes as opposed to trees. And no part of the bush is toxic to touch. There are great, dinner plate sized groups of blossoms which are edible and medicinal...then those, of course, turn to great masses of berries. Mulberries will DEFINITELY get you a beautiful purple ...that will stay forever! LOL

[@CatsCostumery]

I'll have to find some mulberries! 😮

[@lilykatmoon4508]

I would have had the exact same reaction to the spider situation! Love these dying projects. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@farangarris2598]

Also it is the skins on the berries that carries the color leave the berries skins on when dying.😊

[@DipityS]

No likely spiders! Completely sympathise having a moment over spiders! That is a lovely colour. At first I was sad you couldn't have the pink and was thinking the fabric would be the darker colour we saw in the sink when you tipped it out of the mix - but when you showed the outcome I was surprised at the lovely light purple - lavender colour - it's beautiful.

[@laurenloertscher1319]

Looks like winter clouds. Very cool!

[@lucyannethrope7569]

Elder isn't toxic, only useless, but you will have to process the berries or they will give you the runs. You can also make what we Swedes call "saft" from the berries. And you need to make sure it is the real Elder-type ...the stems to the berries need to be red-ish ...if they are green they are the Bush-type that is toxic.

[@ErinDarlyn]

Hi! Clinical herbalist here. Elder contains cyanogenic glycosides, which can indeed have toxic effects if the plant parts are not processed properly or are not used properly. And the plants are definitely not useless. There are lots of great scientific studies that demonstrate the clinical effects of elder berries and flowers.

[@sinderi218]

Uncooked elder (Sambucus) is most definitely toxic. All parts of the plant produce cyanogenic glycosides which are broken down through heating it thoroughly.

[@lunalovegood4426]

Might I suggest investing in some fixer & urea for a more even, lasting color? They're both all natural, inexpensive, & will help your dying projects turn out more evenly.

[@CatsCostumery]

I will look into this, thank you! :)

[@BethAge95]

I think the colour turned out lovely! Especially because of the pattern of darker and lighter spots! Dying linen with natural dies and dying with berries is both notoriously hard, so don't feel bad that it didn't turn out the way you imagined. Getting a berry tone that stays nice and doesn't fade super quickly or turns grey, actually using berries is pretty much impossible, as I heard from friends who are dyeing. Wool is easier to dye in my experience but I've also only done indigo, which is very easy, and birch leaves which turned a lovely bright yellow but will also fade over time.

[@CatsCostumery]

that's reassuring, thank you! :)

[@cynthiadippel9675]

It did turn out lovely. I am going to have my hand at natural dying with avocado pits and skins. And soya milk as my mordant.

[@CatsCostumery]

this sounds super cool!

[@CaptainStitchyPants]

What a beautiful final colour! I have a top tip to speed up removing elderberries from their stems¹. Use a fork to sort of "comb" through the umbrella and the berries will ping right off the end of the stalks. Try and do it with your hands almost inside the bucket/container to minimise the number of escaped berries! Bonus: your hands will be way less stained by the end 👍 ¹ My parents used to make wine at home when I was a child, so they'd be dealing with buckets of fruit at a time. Speed was the order of the day!

[@melissamybubbles6139]

I'm glad the experiment turned out well.

[@mrs.knecro7044]

Yup the spooder situation would have given me the hebegeebees too… I just have the meme of someone standing in front of a burning building and then saying there were spooders in my head 😅 Can’t wait to see what you make with the fabric I think it’s a really cool idea. I’ve always wanted to try tea or coffee dying something.

[@CatsCostumery]

I've tried both and really like them, especially for toning down super white fabrics! :)

[@mentatphilosopher]

You might try onion skins, you can start saving them now, and no spiders. I saw this on a YT NHK WORLD-JAPAN episode of Zero Waste Life called From Rubbish to Rainbow.

[@m.maclellan7147]

Yes, I think red onions give a reddish cast to the dye bath ?

[@mentatphilosopher]

@@m.maclellan7147 In the show they used yellow onions and got a bold yellow, almost mustard, a color I think Cat would like.

[@CatsCostumery]

I would for sure, I think I'll try brown and red onions to see the differences!

[@alex9190]

i personally love the look of a splotchy dyed fabric. makes it more special to me

[@CatsCostumery]

I kinda liked it too! Reminded me of watercolours or a cloudy sky ☺

[@rachelboersma-plug9482]

I have a local elder tree that I raid for blossoms to make cordial/syrup. A very handy implement for anyone who does much foraging is a clothes hanger hook fastened to the end of an old broom handle, to hook out-of-reach branches and pull them down. Saves a lot of stretching and climbing.

[@CatsCostumery]

That is genius!

[@Worldbuilder]

My mum always made batches of elderflower “saft” - a kind of a concentrated drink you thin out with water before drinking. Most danes think of the taste of elderflower drink as the taste of summer, and will happily drink it year-round. I believe it is quite similar to your elderflower cordial, though most here prefer just plain old tapwater for thinning it out. You can also freeze the concentrated drink in ice cubes to add to drinks in summer; as they thaw and cool the drink they add more and more flavor.

[@RyanMercer]

Ooohhhh.

[@turtlesrcoming]

I love seeing these natural dyeing experiments! Can't wait to see the dress you make with the fabric later ❤

[@charlymicky1722]

You can also dunk the elderberry blossoms in pancake dough and then proceed as you would for normal pancake. You can do the same with the berries, but few people tend to know about the elderberry blossom pancake

[@feltaria9177]

I highly recommend Jenny Dean’s natural dye books. For a UK perspective. Elderberry is so not light fast, that even if you’d got that pink you liked, it would have turned browny grey over time any way. I think that technically it’s a stain not a dye as the molecules don’t bond in the same way. If you wanted a more even colour (although personally I love the outcome you achieved) you can probably get a better result by lifting the fabric out of the pot regularly and then putting it back, rather than just trying to stir it

[@coalsparks]

A friend of mine got very into natural dyes a few years ago. Yellow onion skins make a peachy dye, which I always thought was surprising.

[@jasminv8653]

They can also give a very bright easter/canary yellow, depending on the onions themselves, water pH and stuff like that.

[@CatsCostumery]

this sounds lovely, I'll have to give them a try!

[@ushere5791]

lovely!!

[@farangarris2598]

You have an elder tree! Not toxic. Just remive stems berries sre okay to eat off the tree in small amounts. Use berries in corriduals, james and pies, and syrup for pancakes!😊

[@karlaverbeck9413]

Great on pancakes!

[@leaf2576]

Yesss I love this series of yours. I'm not yet brave enough to try natural dyes but these videos make me want to!

[@AnniCarlsson]

You can also dye with elderberry leafs btw

[@CatsCostumery]

I didn't know this! I'd like to try this too, would love to be able to use all the parts of the tree :)

[@kamanda42]

this was so fun to watch! can't wait to see more :)

[@makeda6530]

That is so soft, I love it! You did great~.

[@aprilhoy4010]

Cool series! It was neat to see how it turned out. Something you might try varying as well as the dye source is the fiber used. I've dabbled with dying my own yarn. With that, the general rule is that fibers from animals--wool, silk, angora...l--is dying on easy mode. Just add heat and a bit of vinegar. Plant based stuff it trickier. Synthetics are technically possible, but not worth the bother, IMO.

[@charlarp]

Beautiful colour, I would love to see you try this again.

[@suzanneschulte4539]

When I make elderberry wine, the straining cloth is always stained blue, not red, so I wasn't at all surprised when your pink disappeared. :) Since an elderberry is mostly pit, do you think this would be a case where you would need a higher amount dyestuff than the usual 1:1 ratio?

[@CatsCostumery]

for sure, I think I'd use a higher ratio next time - if someone was getting them for me 😂

[@agimagi2158]

I usually pick the flowers for baking and had simmilar (tho not as bad) spider situations happen. Not fun at all and I'm so sorry for you! The fabric turned out super pretty! It's like a winter mornings fog color!

[@kerriemckinstry-jett8625]

I don't see elderberries so often, so they always make me think of the line in "Monty Python and the holy Grail"... "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!" Cool dye, though.

[@farangarris2598]

Did you use any vinager? It sets the color.

[@AnniCarlsson]

elderberry so good. make soda from it is so tasty. jam is a deligth as well. a favorite I not have access to

[@pwhite2579]

sand in mortar and pistil to help grind the berries. How on earth did you NOT know there were spiders while harvesting? Very pretty color(s). Can't wait to see the finished dress. Live and learn!

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

It looks great. A winter dress sounds lovely. Next time convince your partner they want to pick the berries and wash them outside!

[@vernieplummer5148]

Well I think that came out OK. I just watched somebody die something yesterday and it was all the same except one splotch. Yours just has kind of natural looking waves of color in it so I think it's fine. It mostly looked gray on camera, but I could discern some purple. Good job and your mother smells of elderberries. I hope you understand what that means LOL.

[@m.maclellan7147]

I do ! Monty Python for the win ! 🏆 (I am always cursing things at work by calling them "hamsters" ! My boss is not a Python person, so I am sure he wonders !?

[@KuwaCraft]

Hi Cat. I was like" I really hope she sees the spider webs on the erries" Bam, next scene " Yeah, she definitely saw the spiderwebs.

[@aquaaurora2747]

As soon as I saw the title I immediately thought of Monty Python “..and your father smelt of elderberries!” Hopefully they didn’t smell bad. I use to have arachnophobia (fear of spiders) from my grandma but I’d rather have harmless spiders in my home than all the pests they will eat for me. So as long as the spiders aren’t climbing on me or my bed I don’t mind them now. But if you do elderberries again maybe rinse them off outside with a hose first. I made a natural dye and did scouring and mordant recently. I also tok some swatches and tested the various parts of the process. Scouring definitely makes the dye more even, mordant makes a huge difference in how well it stays in the fabric. I use aluminum acetate and dyed with driftwood and dried oak leaves I had in abundance for aquarium use. Will definitely be dying more stuff in the future and it’s very fun to see the things you try outdo thank you for sharing! Ps: I also hate having to rinse the fabric after it comes out of the dye bath.

[@Gunvor86]

Have you tried dyeing with onion skins? I imagine red onions could make a really nice colour? Or woad, if there's any in your area?

[@CatsCostumery]

I will be saving my onion skins for the future!

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

Maybe one of your patrons will get you a giant enamel pot for further experiments!

[@jldunn7791]

I think the dye may be pH sensitive. Berries have anthocyanins that shift from blue-ish to pink. If you did a light gentle vinegar rinse, it may tinge more pink.

[@cathymatthews5147]

I tried this a few years ago, and the color washed out. I ended up dying it a different colorl

[@fluffydragon84]

Oh! Series name idea: "Will it dye (in) a natural bath?"

[@MsHedgehog]

For a red you want those small poison mushrooms, cortinarius. They look brown but dye red. There are some really great natural dyes in mushrooms, and they tend to be the inedible kinds too. I have also heard, but not tried myself, that linen is not a easy fabric to dye in general.

[@aidakopmels9307]

Thanks for making the video! I think I read somewhere (sorry, I don't remember the source) that they used to dye fabrics multiple times back in the day to get a more intense colour? Also, I wonder if the dye will stop oxidising after rinsing, or if the color particles will just continue oxidising on your fabric.

[@kobaltkween]

I'd be curious to see you try hibiscus petals. We have them for tea and supplements, and they stain things so quickly.

[@NatNatey]

Hi! I'm very very new here but I've been on a "figuring out how natural dyes work" kick. I've seen your video on dyeing with rowan berries and! I have found out that rowan berries are a natural mordant--not sure if its a good mordant for all dyes or just for vegetables dyes as I've seen mentioned somewhere. If you have the time and will and resources, do you think you could use some natural dyes with rowan berries as the mordant to see how it works? I know Iron and brass can also be used (just by the virtue of cooking smth in an iron or brass cauldron), but I also read that they tend to affect the color of the dye strongly (neutralizing it to smth more gray or pulling it towards blue/green). The rowan berries didn't seem to have a very powerful hue of their own though! I also read that some mushroom and lichen dyes specifically become stronger or change hue during fermentation. Would making fermented dyes be up your alley? I have seen quite vibrant results with purple and maroon and bright pink.

[@ritasemones9865]

Rinse your foraged things outside. Keeps outside critters outside. I don’t like spiders either.

[@GarthRoseth-wg7pu]

Over dye to deepen the colour as it is common with natural dyes to do more then 1 dip...

[@malenejensen2995]

Warning: Elderberries are toxic too, but if you heat them up the toxic is neutralised! So only consume elderberries if they have been heated!

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

I'm wondering how well this dye stays over time even without washing, I did some experiments on cotton with wild grape and got lovely purple but within a year the samples (which had been stored out of light in a fabric bag) had faded to light beige. Granted I did not use any mordant.... would you consider doing a review of stuff you've dyed previously at some point, and comparing the colour to when you first did it and whether it got sun bleached or washed or what? I have a cotton-linen shirt I made three years ago and dyed with the most easily available commercial dye, even used a fixative, and the colour on the interior hasn't faded that badly but the exterior where it saw sun when I went gardening in it is nearly beige from deep purple, the interior of it is still definitely purple...

[@CatsCostumery]

For sure, this is a good point! I've dyed two cotton pieces and two linens, so I think I've got enough to do a comparison :)

[@lesleyharris525]

Onion skins is a good dye, would you have a better chance if you cut out the parts and dyed them in batches.

[@CatsCostumery]

this sounds like a future venture!

[@grimnirnacht]

Are blackberries abundant there? They're weeds here. There's always tons of them. I bet they'd make a nice color

[@CatsCostumery]

I'll have to try some!

[@JollyGoodJewWitch]

I have a tip for avoiding love insects. Use diatomaceous earth. I would’ve died if that happened to me. It turned out absolutely beautiful!

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

So wash them outside before bringing them in!

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

Noted! 😂

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

OHHHHH INTERESTING COLOR!