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!

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Instagram (perhaps overactive stories): @catscostumery

Music is from Epidemic Sound.

[fionastewart]

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.

[coreygilles]

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 ❤

[karlaverbeck]

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

[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 ❤

[sarahball]

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?

[lynnecurran]

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. 😢😢

[lornadavis]

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! 😊

[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. 😉

[lyndaholloway]

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

[judykoontz]

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

[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 <3

[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!

[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.

[peggyriordan]

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.

[Callmeapollo]

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

[lilykatmoon]

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

[bonniehyden]

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

[farangarris]

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

[rachelboersma-plug]

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.

[BethAge]

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.