Natural Dyeing and Ecoprinting with Onion Skins
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ม.ค. 2025
- An introduction to natural dyeing and ecoprinting using onion skins.
Please follow the link to the Maiwa website for excellent information on the scouring process for different fibres.
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Thank you for watching, happy stitching!
#naturaldyes #ecoprint #onion #onionskin
Thank you so much for everything you are sharing, clearly explaining and inspiring us all with! What a kind, creative, caring and gentle woman, Kathryn!
Thank you so much Belinda ☺️
Thank you for the most informative and easy to grasp natural dyeing video I've seen. The outcome pieces are all so gorgeous! I didn't see any undulation of color on them except for the beautiful scarf of course. That is an easy way to ecoprint. Had you not shown us every step i never would have guessed that each the fabrics was soaked ONLY in red or brown onion skins. I'm definitely inspired, thank you so much!
Thank you I am happy you liked it. The range of shades you get from natural dyes, even the humble onion skin is fascinating. ❤️
Absolutely lovely and inspiring! I also love the small details in the videos like the mended sleeve, the adorable tongs and the bachground cloths which I can already see being used in future projects ❤
Ah yes, my mended sleeve. This is a charity shop cardigan that I have had for about 12 years and when Stella was a puppy, she gnawed a chunk out of the sleeve. 😁♥️
I think that's fantastic. It adds a story to a piece of clothing
At last! Someone with my thinking on “a waste of time doing dyeing with substances that are going to be fugitive” 😉
I so enjoyed watching this video…. I could feel your passion oozing through every minute!
🥰🥰🥰
This is absolutely incredible! I’ve never seen anything like this. I’m going to start saving my onion skins!
Hope you enjoy❤️
@ I like the tip about going to the grocery store and rummaging around in the onion display!!
That scarf is simply beautiful
The depth and range of those colours are beautiful.... really sumptuous! So much better than the "flat" results from commercial dyes. Thank you, I loved this video!
Thank you so much! 😊
This really felt like watching magic happen. Incredibly beautiful and interesting, thank you once again!!🍀💖
My pleasure Machteld, it is indeed like magic, every time. ♥️
Oh my Kathryn! I never would have thought onion skins would dye so beautifully. And so many hues! Thank you for your generosity in sharing your knowledge ❤ I hope you enjoyed your mom visiting. Ha ve a beautiful weekend. Sally Jo
Thank you we had a lovely day ❤️
So glad I saved onion skins 10 yrs ago. Mostly yellow, do have a good bit of red. I have enjoyed this video. Thank you for inspiring me to try this winter or spring!
Have fun 😊
Kathryn this episode has been so interesting. A BIG thankyou. The chiffon scarf was so beautiful. I Will definitely be trying this out on my return home. You are so very generous with your time and gentleness. I have a big bag of onion skins that I collected at the supermarket, as you say, the shop were very happy that I tidied up the onion rack 😊
Wow! The scarf..absolutely beautiful!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video.
Straight forward and and can see how addictive it can be!
Thank you, I wear the scarf in my hair all the time ❤️
I enjoyed this video so much, thank you. Everything shown and explained so thoroughly. The results are lovely, especially the silk scarf which is beautiful. I can hardly wait to have a go.
OMG the scarf is beautiful ❤️ the colors, the string marks, the string! Love it
K3n
I love the way you teach… it’s nice to hear the soft and kind voice of you… thank you very much❣️
Love the variety of beautiful colors you got Kathryn! and the sting marks! I love to hand quilt on the lines. Thank you for sharing your dye process. 💙
Thank you so much for this wonderful video on dyeing with onion peals.
I'm new to eco dying and can't wait to learn more.
I would love to see your process using leaves and other natural materials.
Thank you k3n!!!
My pleasure, I will definitely make more videos as the year progresses. ♥️
Wonderful and informative video. I have done some eco dying but you have given alot of great tips! Love your results!
Thank you Jayne ☺️
Wonderful video.My husband sat down with a cup of tea and stayed watching to the end. I've dyed my spun wool many times but not tried fabrics. I feel inspired to have a go. Many Thanks
Thank you for your time once again Kathryn. I have done a bit of eco dying and printing over the years but evertime I watch a anything about the subject I learn something new. Have a great weekend.
Great information, thank you! Love how slow and peaceful you are!
That is so pretty. Thank you for showing us how to dye with onion skins.
Oh my. I have fallen in love with this process. I would absolutely wear that piece
Everything you do just fascinates me. I have to go Thrifting to look for some wool, silk and or chiffon.
That scoff is absolutely gorgeous
I must say one of my favorite things was seeing how you darned your jumper/sweater. I was so intrigued it’s quite beautiful.
Thank you, that's a patch darn. Stella chewed it when she was a puppy. 😁 More visible mending videos are planned. ❤️
Ha you are my school of thought. See what happens. Done onion skin dying before, love it. I do mine ❤
All the fabric is beautiful but the Echo print is outstanding I’m going to give it a go
Thank you, I am wearing the piece in my hair right now 😁❤️
Your results are beautiful. Thanks for showing your process. I know what I am trying this weekend. 😊
Have fun 😁
Such beautiful colours - especially at the end when you laid them out all together. Stunning 😍😊
Very informative. I use the method for my wood basket weaving. Onion skins work very well for that.
That's interesting, I have seen basket makers use plant dyes for their materials and it's beautiful ❤️
Perfect ,thank you for sharing, Loved the colours and your filming,
Thank you ♥️
Thankyou Kathryn for showing me a new way to look at art. I have many ideas whirling around in my head right now. I am in Costa Rica and are now rapidly approaching our winter aka rainy season. I’ll be spending a lot of time indoors soon and getting to work on all the wonderful ideas that are spinning in my mind. Keep going and keep inspiring people to step out of the box and try something new.
My pleasure and I will keep going, thank you so much ❤️
I loved this beautiful meditative gift of yours. The silks and wools are gorgeous.
Thank you so much 😊
Oooo, I loved this video.Thank you so much, Kathryn. Onion soup for tea and then some alchemical fun.
Sounds perfect ❤️
Oh my goodness I loved all the different variations in colour you got, and that silk scarf is so beautiful! I’ve been saving onion skins to do some yarn dyeing but might have to try some protein cloth first. Thanks very much for the tutorial ❤
My pleasure, thank you ☺️
I love your instructional videos so much. I just found your channel in January when you started your weekly slow stitching project. You have inspired this beginner that you don’t need fancy or expensive tools to create beautiful things. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so patiently and thoroughly. Watching your videos is my hour of peacefulness away from the noise of daily life.
Hello Wanda, thank you that makes me so happy 😊
I learn so much from you and enjoy the slow processes of all your projects....much better to enjoy it all. You are a treasure.
Thank you ❤️
I also like the tint on your hands! They look very spiritual.
🙏❤️❤️❤️
So, so interesting. Can’t wait to try it. When you were taking off the skins, it looked like our Australian outback. Wonderful. Thank you so much.
My pleasure 😊
A fascinating process, and a wonderful video. Enjoyed it thoroughly and learned so much! Loved all the color variations of the different cloths.
How lovely that your mom came for a visit. Does she live in France also, or does she come from England?
Thank you, my Mum also lives here in France, only about half an hour away ❤
Kathryn, thank you so much for this tutorial. So good to learn the difference between dyeing protein and cellulose fibers. Color differences are amazing! I use mostly cellulose base fabrics and would wish for those beautiful, rich colors but…..oh well. 😊. I can’t thank you enough for all you teach us. 💖💖💖
With mordant, you can get better yellow on cellulose, and you can get the green only paler with the iron but I can't get the rich brown and terracotta on cotton with onions, unfortunately. ❤
I have never dyed with onion skins, so fun to see the results that you got! I'll be saving some onion skins!
Have fun 😊
Wonderful the scarf is beautiful
Thank you so much! That was amazing! The scarf is so beautiful! (US Tennessee)
I was looking forward to this and am not disappointed...of course! Your explanations and demonstrations are clear and detailed, and I look forward to giving this a try. I did a bit of onion skin dyeing many years ago, but I don't remember much. This feels like a solid start/re-start. Now if I can find some plain silk or wool, I'll be excited to try them and compare to my cottons. Thank you!
My pleasure Kate. When I have saved up more skins, I hope to make another video using only cotton and mordants. 😊❤️
@@k3n.clothtales That will be great. I forgot to ask: do you save any of your dyeing water for another time?
Yes, I have saved it because there's still colour in it. I am thinking of dyeing some papers and maybe some more cotton cloth. It now has the rusty iron in it so it should give paler green on cotton. ❤️
Thank you so very much for the information about the different cloth and their reaction to the onion skins. Anne
My pleasure Anne ♥️
I will watch this over and over hoping to retain as much as I can. These colors are amazingly beautiful. I don’t know why but using natural materials 100%, going slow to absorb the pleasure of the process just feels magical to me. I have just found your channel recently and you are on the top of my list of favorites. I’m fantasizing that maybe I could make a kwandi quilt of some kind. Now I want it to have natural dyed fabrics. It will take years. What a wonderful inspiration.
Welcome so pleased you found me. I love the sound of your natural dyed, slow stitched kawandi. ❤️
I normally don’t cook with a lot of onions, but now I’m reconsidering. 😂❤
😂 you can always go and forage for skins in your local store 😉♥️
Thank you Kathryn that was absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to give it a go ❤
Thank you! Interesting- enjoyed this! I’ll watch it again- TY
So generous with your information, I have enjoyed the workshop so much. I used to play with rust on paper, can't wait to play with material know. Thank you ❤
My pleasure Carol, have fun ❤️
I have to say I am flabbergasted by this video 🙀. You are definitely never too old to learn something new lol. I can’t wait to try these dying techniques. I would have never thought of onion skins for dying fabric. I have always used tea but I believe this video has opened up a whole new world for me.
Thank you, I am so happy to flabbergast you in a good way 😁❤️
Thank you K3n for this sharing of dyeing with onion skins. I found it clear and informative and interesting. Two funny/sweet things to tell you..at the greengrocers I use every week , when I asked to have some onion skins, the lovely Linda pretended she needed to fill up the ( overflowing) onion basket and brought out stock from the back so she could give me what I needed. So touching and kind….then, watching your video before sleep last night, my OH Paul, joined me. This morning he was most put out that he d fallen asleep part way through and insisted we watch again from the start over our early morning cuppa. No complaints from me of course. . He really likes your videos too, enjoys your way, the projects he sees and your clear, calm instruction. Love from a finally less rainy East Yorkshire xx
Hello, isn't it lovely when people are kind and interested? How nice of Linda. I am happy Paul likes the videos, will we get him stitching do you think? 😁 Thank you for your support it is greatly appreciated ❤️
🧡
Don’t get me wrong, I DO like the brown onion skin dyed fabrics, but I really love the rich brown that came from the red onion skins.
I absolutely CANNOT afford (mentally, spatially or time-wise) to start another experimentation, so I will have to trust those who do, perhaps Etsy, and buy bits and bobs. That chiffon scarf is absolutely gorgeous ❤❤❤. Love the stripes among the blotchiness
What a fascinating art. The silks are beautiful I've got to have a try at this. Thank you Kathryn for your informative and creative video.
Gorgeous results. A friend combined the exhaust baths of red onion skins and brown onion skins. The result was deep olive green!
Thank you 😊 the olive green usually comes from the addition of iron to red onions but a friend of mine was getting green from red onions every time, until recently the council updated the streets water pipes, now she gets brown. So we think there must have been iron in the old pipes. 😁♥️
How are you getting that purple red color from the red onions? I always get brown.
Beautiful cloths Kathryn! Simple process stunning results. A neighbour gifted me a bag each of onion skins & garlic skins - now I know I can put them to the purpose of making beautiful cloth. Thank you for sharing. 💕Brenda. 😮
My pleasure Brenda, I have never managed to get anything from garlic skins alone, I would be interested to hear if you do. ♥️
Excellent video, very informative and inspiring. Thank you! 🥰
Thank you so much K3n for this outstanding workshop. You are a great teacher! I'm very curious to check the process with the pink onions we get here in Kingston (Ontario, Canada) in the summer. Thank you!!!!❤
Oh me too, I have never tried pink onions. Hope you report back 😁❤️
The glow, richness and to my mind the colour perfection you have achieved is glorious! Certainly the colours share first place with the marks created by your stuffing, folding and wrapping 🏆
The info you shared about 'setting up' the bundle was brilliant! Even before you said it I was rehearsing my approach to my local shop to clean up their onions 🤣
Thank you so much k3n.
Enjoy your stunning new scarf!❤
My pleasure 😊 your shop will be delighted to have you tidy their onions for them. 😉♥️
Thank you so much for another enthralling tutorial - bliss listening to you ❤❤❤
Wow! I had no idea. What a wonderful video. Thank you for this. The fabrics turned out so beautifully 🥰
Thank you 😊
You are right about the rabbit hole! Just emerged from the mordant process and dying with avacado. Then I moved on to eco printing with flowers.. Guess I'll need to try onion skins next. 😂
It pulls you in 😂♥️
Wow! These cloths turned out so beautiful! Thank you so much for the great tutorial!
Thank you and my pleasure ♥️
Fascinating 😊❤❤❤❤
Just … WOW!!!!!!!! I’ve learned so much. I’ve experimented with eco-dyeing paper and, I confess, I tore into the bundles like they were birthday presents. Must … slow … down … with the next bundle. The silks and wools are just beautiful. Such rich colours. Guess what I’ll be doing this weekend?! Thank you 🙏 as ever for sharing your amazing skills. 😘
My pleasure, have fun. If you want to rip into your bundles, you do you 😁❤️
My first time meeting you. Thank you so much! I am going to visit with my daughter next month... you have given me wonderful ideas for us to try. We spend our visits trying new creative things.
Hello Jackie, lovely to meet you ❤️ I hope you and your daughter have a wonderful time together 😊
Oh, wow! This (and the next ones) will be watched probably many times! Thank you - thank you!! Many years ago I participated in a weaving course where we dyed handspun wool - and yes, beetroot was a major disappointment. Really, a lifeless dull pink. Never did that again - lol! Recently I made a dye bath with hibiscus tea and used on paper and on cotton. The cotton was so bright I HAD to rinse most of it, and it was still pretty intense. Such fun! Some paper surprisingly turned blue, with most staying pink. No mordants or prep beyond laundering.
My pleasure, yes hibiscus is another thing that is very pH sensitive. I once dyed thread with it, bright pink, licked the end to thread my needle, it turned grey. 😂❤️
Fabulous ❣️ TFS
Excellent video, Kathryn. Very informative, enough information without it being overwhelming for a complete beginner, and the results are some really beautiful colours. 😍 I’ve got a favourite vintage cushion cover that I use to cover my TV when it’s not in use, which is most of the time 🤭, and it’s got what appears to be the exact same colour palette as that of your eco print chiffon scarf, complete with the horizontal striping 😁 Thanks for sharing ❤
Thank you, I wanted to show enough to get people started but not overwhelm so I am so happy you liked it. ♥️
What a fascinating and surprising video! The fabrics are beautiful, and you shared so much information. Thank you!
My pleasure, happy to share 😊
Loads of good information in this video, thank you. Your chiffon scarf is simply a work of art! I love it.
Thank you. Very informative. Such beautiful results. Now I have to start cooking with more onions. What a wonderful gift that silk thread must be to work with. So lovely.
Have you ever used oak shavings? I presume the tannins would dye cloth well.
Not shavings no, only the leaves, but lots of tannin so yes it would work well. ♥️
Thanks. I’ll try it.
Wow, what a wonderful easy to follow video. Thank you. Love the string marks created on the silk scarf 😊
What a great demo, Kathryn, with such beautiful and varied results! Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us all, I was so looking forward to this tutorial and you didn’t disappoint, I can’t wait to try out some onion skins dying, I want to be like you when I grow up 😘🥰☺️
My pleasure I hope you have fun. 😁❤️
Beautiful outcome. Now I know why some of my fabric didn't take as well as the others. I will now be separating the fabric into natural fibers and manmade before dyeing. Always learning at 71.🧡
I’ve just found your channel and I’ve enjoyed this so much! Quite fascinating. XO
Welcome so glad you enjoyed it 😊
Well that was the quickest 53 minutes ever! Oh my goodness Kathryn - the alchemy, the beauty, the anticipation as you gently unwrapped everything...and the colours! Glorious! The surprise of the deep chocolate colours from red onion skins!
I kept thinking how lovely our ancestors must have looked in their naturally dyed clothes...not drab at all!
I'm really looking forward to trying this.
Just one question - did you add anything to the rinsing water or was it just plain water?
Thank you for such an inspiring tutorial.
Mary x 💟
Pleased you enjoyed it Mary, no natural dyes do not have to be drab indeed, neither do they fade any more than synthetic dyes if properly treated. The rinse was just plain water, then I handwashed everything with a bit of grated vegetable soap, the same that I used in the tea and rust dyeing video. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. ❤️
@@k3n.clothtales Oh good - that's nice and easy. Thank you! 💟
Oh, wow... the bundle, beautiful. They are all gorgeous. Thank you for this, me dear : )
Thank you for the wonderful tutorial. Im definitely saving my onion skins from now on. The silk takes the colour beautifully. And the eco dyed scarf is exceptional. As you say it would make a stunning head scarf. I feel very inspired.
Wonderful a Friday video ! Can’t wait to sort out some silks and chiffons. I love rust dying and have also had the disappointment of spices and berries etc. I haven’t done any for ages but you have got me inspired yet again Kathryn, so thank you 😊❤❤
Thank you, and my pleasure ☺️
what a GLORIOUS color arrangement from them all. I love all of them. thank you for sharing your process. I think I love the rust one with the red onion too. Hooray, what to use first! The protein fabric are amazing too. The scarf is the best, I would wear that too. Great job.
Thank you so pleased you enjoyed it 😊
O, dear I so much enjoyed this video. The information is not new to me but it is just so lovely to listen to your voice and the experience that is so obvious in your sharings. You sparked me to give it a go again. That green from the red onion skin with rust is so me. Much Love
Much love to you too ♥️
Absolutely riveting content and commentary - so so inspiring as many others have said. I live alone so I will definitely be foraging at the local greengrocers for onion skins - I can't bear to wait until I have collected enough - goes against the grain of slow crafting 🤦 but I am enthused and want to have a go. Big love from Scotland ❤as always 😊
Your greengrocer will thank you Margaret I am sure, have fun much love ❤️
That piece made with bits of onion skin was just beautiful. I love these techniques. I’ll have to look out for plain or pale clothes as nearly all of my bits are coloured. They do take the dye but obviously not so effective or clear in colour. Thank you dear woman for such a straightforward class
My pleasure. Yes if you can't find white or cream cloths, pale colours also work, even patterned but of course it affects the results. ❤️
Thank you so much for taking the time to film and show the entire process, delayed of course. I love your experimentation and recently watched an experimentation dying process with mushrooms. The same genus species generated a different color depending on the environment in which it was grown (ie by an oak tree versus a maple). You give me such inspiration! Blessings from Horseheads, NY, USA.
I have never dyed with mushrooms but I have watched some beautiful videos recently, by two women on the west coast of the US who collaborated on a book on the subject and did many experiments. I can't for the life of me remember their names. It was here on TH-cam. ♥️
That is a phenomenal introduction! What beautiful results!!
Thank you ♥️
Thank you so much for the lesson on onion skin dyeing. Your fabrics turned out beautiful. I have a bag hanging in the panty that collects all the skins from my onions until I have enough to dye with. I've never overdyed my rust dyed fabrics. I need to give it a try now that I've seen your fabrics.
Wonderful colours! Thankyou Katherin
Thank you for another wonderful video. The colours were so amazing those rich chocolate browns and bronzes were stunningly beautiful. I have used wool and celluloses before, but not silk. I must thrift some silk and try this again.
Thank you Kathryn for sharing this fascinating process and the benefit of your personal experiences . I am definately going to give it a go.
Those are all so beautiful! Thank you I can't wait to try this 🤍
Thank you have fun 😊
Absolutely loved this!!! You have so much patients to do this but its worth it.
Thank you, I just love the process 😊❤️
Thank you for such an interesting video! What beautiful results with each of the different applications. This is something I’d really like to try. TFS!
Fascinating and beautiful! I will start saving onion skins.❤
Again Thank you for taking us along on your eco dying with onion skins. Gorgeous results.
La tua sciarpa è molto bella 😊è adorabile 😊complimenti…
Grazie ❤️
I wish I still had a wood range to play on for eco dyeing, but I do have a wood stove for heating that gets called into service for fabric and yarn dyeing in winter. In warmer months, I often use an ancient crockpot that belonged to my mom. Being 70s era, I can't be convinced it's not full of lead, so I would never cook food in it (though I'm sure I ate many a meal out of it back in the day). It's a great way to simmer small amounts of fiber without having to tend a fire.
Yes crock pots are great to use, even the modern ceramic ones. ❤
Thank you for teaching us! I love the outcome. And I’ll swallow my question about red cabbage.😂 Though it works perfectly for dying easter eggs.
Yes, red cabbage and beetroot are great for eggs, just not for cloth 😂♥️
Absolutely fabulous, I was so looking forward to seeing this video, it didn’t fail. I am actually going to a natural dyeing workshop on the 19th (next Friday), what a great introduction and understanding your video has given me in preparation. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge
Thank you Jean, I hope you have fun on your workshop. ❤️