Blueberry Color : A Bundle Dye / Eco Print Technique

Fresh or frozen, smashed and steamed- blueberries on fabric! Here goes my first blog post! If you are an artist like me, you want to go straight to the Color Results, so I will get to the pictures quick!

When using Natural Dyes I love the spontaneous and always exciting results of the BUNDLE DYE! Throw in a little of this and a little of that with flower petals, onion skins, and other unsuspecting kitchen ingredients. Here are four Crepe de Chine Silk Bandanas bundled up with plant materials in my steamer.

(The only disadvantage to the natural dye process is the MORDANT bath which is necessary to make the fabric accept delicate natural colors. Those steps, will be a separate post.) When your fabric is prepared for natural dye, HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WITH BUNDLE DYING WITH BLUEBERRIES.

Three images below show the results of frozen blueberries, that were thawed, scattered on top of damp fabric, tightly rolled, and steamed for about 45 minutes. The largest blueberries were smashed down as I rolled them up. The deepest blue colors came from the skin of the blueberry making tight contact with the fabric. Wild small organic blueberries will give a warmer purple with all of the fresh juices. When the fabric is still wet the color looks more pink but sets more blue. The third picture is on linen, and the result is similarly clear as on the silk!

For a more subdued effect they can be smashed down, and the color will blend and dissipate. My favorite easy combination for #naturallydyeing #vintagelinens is a mix of smashed blueberries and dried madder root.#blueberriesandmadder Together they make a romantic lavender color. So #shabbychic and #bohobeautiful!

Check out the Botanical Section of my Etsy Store. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SeaDreamsStudio?section_id=37187515

Reach out for collabs or custom projects. I would love to do larger silk items such as pillow cases and slips, cotton blankets and linen dresses as well.

~ Nicole Frazer