How to Dye with Minerals from Stone
- 1). Collect minerals. The minerals you choose could come from dirt, rust, crushed rock or store-purchased material. If you have a rather rocky or rough collection of minerals, mix them in 3 times the amount water than you have minerals, in order to make a slurry. Then, pour off most of the mixture, leaving the larger parts on the bottom to discard.
- 2). Let sit overnight and pour off excess water; the mineral sediment should have sunk to the bottom. If you have a pure powder mixture, add half of the amount of water than you have minerals, to make a slurry paste.
- 3). Use a protein-based medium to create a lasting bond with your textile; soy milk is a good choice. Make your own soy milk by soaking a handful of soybeans in water overnight. Then, the mixture in a blender with warm water (fill to 3/4 full) for 3 minutes and pass through a sieve.
- 4). Add soy milk to the mineral slurry until the consistency is similar to whole milk. If purchasing, use the unsweetened/unflavored variety. This mixture is your natural mineral dye. Place your dye in a large pot. Submerge undyed fabric in your dye, or apply it directly onto your textile, with a paintbrush to create a pattern.
- 5). Allow your textiles to cure in the soy dye. The longer you wait, the better quality you will achieve with your dye to allow for washing and dry cleaning.
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