HOW TO MAKE NATURAL DYE WITH AVOCADO SKIN & STONE | ORGANIC COLOR | PINK PEACH ORANGE

[@saragreenfire4515]

Is using a mordant nessecery? I have seen many videos that don't use any mordant, so I was wondering.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Great question, Sara 💚 Pretreating fiber with a mordant is the true 'secret' to creating a good binding environment for natural dyes. When you work with dye matter that is higher in tannins, this can also help bind color as well. Avocado skins/stones do have a natural tannin content, but you might be happier with the fastness by using a mordant first. If you want to avoid metal salts like alum, you can use soy milk as a binder or a stronger tannin soak in something like oak galls, pomegrantate skins, black walnut, etc. There are loads of options to test out!

[@jilllech9785]

This was the most clear and concise video. Thanks so much.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome, Jill! I'm happy to hear the video was helpful 🥑

[@FayeDay-y8w]

Hello Margaret - I’ve just recently discovered your KZbin channel & I’m learning so much about making natural dyes from your videos. I work primarily with dyeing paper and small amounts of fabrics. Thank you for sharing your knowledge - I’m looking forward to following your directions!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Welcome to Color Quest! So happy to hear you are enjoying the videos. There are a few videos where I use paper as my substrate, but you can apply almost every process shown with textile to paper as your fiber. You are sure to get hooked on natural dyeing 🤎

[@JuliRoxArt]

This turned out so lovely!! I was shook the first time I heard that avocado pits were used for natural dyeing. Just finished playing with avocado lake pigment too 🥰 It's so much fun to work with! Also, who doesn't love a good excuse to eat avocados~

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much, Juli! I love working with avocado because they are soooo easy to make dye from and the colors are gorgeous 💕 I also love the variations of pinks/oranges you can get and how they interact with different fibers. You should see my freezer - it is chock full of my guacamole remnants 😉 How did the lake pigment work out? Did you create some watercolors with the results? The tannins in avocado should make them a great paint for longevity too!

[@catchingthemoon]

So glad your vids magically appeared in my feed, they are so wonderfully easy to follow. Thank you. Making the avo dye pot as I type❣️❣️

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I'm so happy too! Great to hear that videos find those who are looking for them 😉 Enjoy that avocado dye pot - such a great dye!!

[@psyxica]

I was wondering if you can rinse the avocado skin and pits well and dry them and store them? Because I notice many people freeze them. So can they be dried or they have to be fresh? Thank you

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You can absolutely dry and store skins and stones for future dye pots 🥑 Just make sure to wash them very well to remove all of the fruit and keep them in a cool, dry place so they don't mold. Putting them in the freezer just deters any mold from forming, so it is an easy place to store them. I've had bags of dried skins/stones that I keep in my pantry without issue.

[@christineravenscroft1453]

By baking soda to you mean bicarb soda thanks?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Yes, we can sodium bicarbonate baking soda in the US 😊

[@rebeccarichins9075]

Love this!!! thank you for showing every step of the process, I havent started to make natural dye yet but I'm planning on it! I did have a question, I have some avocado pits I've been drying out, but do they need to be fresh? How old is too old to get any dye?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

You are most welcome, Rebecca - so happy to have you here at Color Quest 🌼 You are going to love natural dyeing - just wait! You can use fresh or dried pits/skins. Just make sure you wash them well to remove the fruit itself so they don't mold when you store them. I like to keep mine in the freezer to last longer and it can last a very long time for dyeing 😊

[@daniellelangeveld2586]

After separating the avo and the skin do you leave the skin to dry out, and for how long

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Hi Danielle - no need to dry out the skins before using them in the dye pot, but you want to make sure they are well cleaned to remove the avocado fruit itself. Since it may take some time to collect the skins, I keep my cleaned skins in the freezer. Same for the seeds. As long as you are eating avocados, you will always have a great source of dye matter ready to go! 🥑🥑🥑

[@fabali6380]

Love your work! I don’t suppose there is any greatness from date seeds in natural dyes?

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

Thank you so much 💚I have never dyed with date seeds before, but why not give it a try? I'm sure it has natural tannins and most seeds I've used provide some kind of natural color. Could be a lovely neutral shade....you never know! Let me know if you try it out 😊

[@fabali6380]

@@MargaretByrdColorQuest absolutely, will definitely try it out. Just a shame i can’t find research on whether the tannins are high/low x

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@fabali6380 I poked around too, but didn't see anything specific on it. I did see it is used as a coffee substitute, so I bet it has some color hidden in it. Coffee is a subtle, but lovely color for natural dye. Excited to see what you find!

[@amara560]

@@fabali6380 Have you had a chance to give it a try?

[@fabali6380]

@@amara560 no I haven’t I’m afraid.

[@salemthorup9536]

I saw another video from another gal and she got a more peachy color from the pits and more pink from the skins, so I'm kind of confused.

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

The color you get from any natural dye source can be different based on many factors, so it's best to experiment with the avocados you have on hand to see what results you get in your own dye pot. I've gotten very similar colors from both pits and skins, but also variations, which is one of the reasons I love working with natural color - it is filled with beautiful surprises. Colors will be impacted by the type of fiber and mordant that is used, but can also vary dependent on the age of the skins/pits, how they've been stored, how clean they were, the variety of avocado, the environment it was grown in, etc. Remember - natural color is living and breathing and will provide a wide range of possible hues that are ever-changing 😊

[@cristinapape]

❤

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

🥑💚🥑

[@clothingconstruction328]

At what point do you put in the fabric. Do you let it sit in the dye you save in the fridge or when its simmering? Love your channel btw :)

[@clothingconstruction328]

And for how long do you usually leave the fabric in the dye? Thanks

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

I'm so glad you are loving the content on my channel - thank you for watching! In most cases, I would add wet textile to a simmering dye pot for about 1+ hour after the original dye is made. I usually leave the textile in while the dye cools, and often keep it soaking overnight. You can store in the fridge if you want to use the dye at another time - just heat it back up to a simmer and add your wet textile. You can put your textile in a cold dye bath with avocado dye, but you would need to leave it in the bath for a longer period of time - up to a few days potentially. If you can set it in the sun, that can speed it up. Just check on the textile from time to time and remove when you've reached your desired shade or it stops getting darker. Remember - wet dyed textile will dry a lighter shade. Have fun!

[@MargaretByrdColorQuest]

@@clothingconstruction328 See my full response below 😊