How To Make Red Cabbage Dye

HOW TO MAKE RED CABBAGE
DYE
I was in the fifth grade and living at the nature center the only time I had
played with raw plant dye. I've always wanted to try it again and it
seemed like a good excuse to need a Thanksgiving tablecloth. Maybe
anything in a light grey?
Above: I discovered after a little study that red cabbage is a good

ingredient for achieving the color I was after – with caveats: some dyers
advise against red cabbage, particularly for clothes, since it is not very
colorfast; others are fans. Bottom line: It's simple and so I wanted to do
it. Here is how I have done it.
Materials:
Above: There are very few materials needed for the project, most of
which you probably already own. Here's when it gives you:
 2 Purple Cabbage Legs
 A piece of natural unbleached linen, which is designed to cover

your bed. This work is performed by cotton , linen, silk , and wool
(but may respond differently to the dye). I went to my nearby
fabric shop and got many yards of natural cotton for $15.
 2 Store pots in stainless steel or enamel, big enough to match your

fabric
 Massaging spoons
 A small bottle of alum, an astringent compound found in most

grocery stores' spice section
 Big plastic seal
 Heavy rubber gloves
 A large (optional) mesh drawstring sac. I used a nylon vegetable

bag; mesh bags even fit for delicate washing
Instructions
phase1 and 2: Chop the cabbage into one-inch chunks and then collect
the cabbage in a mesh bag – this makes cleaning slightly easier, but the
project works with loose cabbage just as well. Remember that the dye
will respond with something you place in your bowl, so do not use a
zippered bag; the metal will alter the dye.
Phase 3: Put the chicken in a saucepan and cover with water (the ratio of
water to chicken will be around 2 to 1). A stainless steel pot is a safe
alternative to die, as the dye does not interfere with its own chemical
properties. Place on high fire, but decrease quickly as the water begins to
boil. Simmer until the dye has leached out of the cabbage for 20 to 40
minutes.
Phase 4: Clean the fabric while the dye bath is on the burner. Wet it in
cold water first
Phase5: Prepare your mordant, a compound which combines with dye
and fixes the material's color. I've used alum, the least dangerous
mordant of all. Add 1 tablespoon of water per gallon;you want enough
liquid to submerge the fabric to the maximum. Natural unbleached
fabrics retain the best of plant dyes but all need a mordant.
NOTE: Alum was once used in the cooking phase but was discovered to
be toxic in significant amounts more recently. Do not handle the fabric
therefore in a bowl that is used for cooking. I used my enamel
candlemaking bowl, another fine, non-reactive option for dying. The
same relates to weighing spoons. Those inexpensive red ones are only
for crafts.
Phase 6: In the mordant pan, wearing rubber gloves, steep cloth and
cooking for an hour. Here my dye as well as my cotton stream free.
Phase7: Remove the leaves after the pigment has leached out of the
cabbage, and retain the liquid dye. Here's a sample of the color that I got.
Phase8: Remove the fabric from the mordant bath after an hour, and
rinse it in cold water. Pour the dye into a big tub – in case some of the
alum existed I used my enamel bowl – then submerge the cloth into the
dye. Your fabric should have enough space in its bath to move about
freely.Don't panic if a cotton is moving backwards, it can also remove
the pigment. Occasionally you should even mix with a plastic handle or
with gloved paws.
Above: The longer you leave your fabric in your dye, the darker it gets.
My cloth got deep lilac hue after soaking overnight.
Upstairs: Notice how the color changed from magenta to amethyst, as it

cooled.
Phase9: Put dyed fabric in a wide bucket (or stainless steel sink), wear
rubber gloves and rinse with cold water. Your fabric will slowly lighten
up.
Step 10: Hang out your tablecloth to dry over any surface that the dye
will not affect. (Your white enamel tub may not be the best choice.) Also
make sure the fabric does not contain creases; these will cause uneven
colouring. N.B.: I used a piece of unbrushed fabric – I wanted a rough,
wrinkly look. If you choose to add a hem, you might want to do it before
dying, and if you use 100% cotton thread the stitching and fabric will
match more or less.

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HOW TO MAKE RED CABBAGE

Above: I discovered after a little study that red cabbage is a good

 2 Purple Cabbage Legs

 A piece of natural unbleached linen, which is designed to cover

 2 Store pots in stainless steel or enamel, big enough to match your

 A small bottle of alum, an astringent compound found in most

 Heavy rubber gloves

 A large (optional) mesh drawstring sac. I used a nylon vegetable

Upstairs: Notice how the color changed from magenta to amethyst, as it

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