Welcome to part five of my This vs That series, where I compare different aspects of natural dyeing. Today we are comparing 2 types of natural dyeing results: solid dyeing vs scrunch dyeing.
Solid dyeing
With solid dyeing, we are aiming to get a solid colour on the final piece of fabric/clothing. It can be a bit more fiddly than scrunch dyeing, as any small imperfections or mistakes will be obvious.
To dye fabric a solid colour, there are several important factors:
- Ensure that fabric is prepared with mordant/binder as evenly as possible, as any streaks or uneven patches will be obvious once the fabric is solidly dyed.
- Have plenty of space in the dye pot for fabric to move freely.
- Stir fabric regularly while it is soaking in the dye pot.
- Use a clean dye pot – any rust marks on the pot may transfer to sections of fabric, leaving darker patches.
Scrunch dyeing
Scrunch dyeing is a type of resist dyeing, where some parts of the fabric are exposed to the dye bath and some are not. For scrunch dyeing, you lay your fabric flat and then scrunch it up. Exactly how you choose to do this depends on a few factors.
If you’d like a semi-solid colour with gentle variation, like the example on the left of the image below, scrunch your fabric loosely to allow more of the dye to seep inside the bundle. In this case, you might not use anything to hold the scrunch together. Simply placing it scrunched up into a small dye pot is enough to get this effect. Make sure you don’t stir the fabric at all – you don’t want to disturb the scrunch.
If you’d like more contrast, with some dark dyed sections and some white sections like the example on the right, scrunch your fabric more tightly. This will prevent the dye from seeping inside. For a tightly scrunched bundle, you will need to hold it together somehow. You can use string or rubber bands if you don’t mind getting some resist lines from those. Or to avoid those lines, place the scrunched bundle into some mesh fabric or old stockings, then tie these up to hold the bundle securely.
A benefit of scrunch dyeing is that it is more forgiving than solid dyeing. We are aiming for an organic pattern rather than a perfect solid colour. And scrunch dyeing also uses less dyestuff than solid dyeing, particularly if you are opting for a tight scrunch. I also love that scrunch dyeing looks more obviously naturally dyed, and brings in a lovely element of chance.
If you’d like to learn more about scrunch dyeing and solid dyeing, I have sections about each in my Leaf and Colour book (also available as an ebook). This book provides a solid foundation for various natural dyeing and eco-printing techniques. Click here to check it out.
