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NATURAL DYES

 

Category

Textile Design

Colours | Dyeing

Carried out at

MA Biodesign

Central Saint Martins

University of the Arts London

BA Printed Textiles &

Surface Pattern Design

Leeds Arts University

DSAA Textile Design

E.S.AA.T.

Conducted with 

Carolina Kyvik Ruiz

Eleonora Rombolá

Cassandra Quinn

Kit Ondaatje Rolls

Tutors

MA Biodesign:

Carole Collet | Course Founder

Nancy Diniz | Course Leader 

Alice Taylor | Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems 

Shem Johnson | Grow Lab Specialist Technician 

BA Printed Textiles:

Tami Stewart | Course Leader

Caroline Pratt | Senior Lecturer 

Julie Hughes | Senior Lecturer 

 

DSAA Textile Design:

Marianne Bernecker | Course Founder-Leader

Laurent Schavey | Course Founder-Leader

Hervé Crespel | Course Founder-Leader 

Solange Thiry | Senior Lecturer 

Location
Leeds, London  —  UK

Roubaix  —  France


Date
2017
  —  2020

Using natural dyes to remediate water pollution 

The use of synthetic dyes generates colorful and inexpensive clothes, which have color that lasts for a long time. But synthetic dyes also cause problems. The dyeing process involves a lot of water, and not all places have effective ways of cleaning the water before it goes back into the environment. Wastewater from textile dyeing is a huge pollutant around the world.

Wastewater from textile dyeing also affects plant life in the water, because many dyes have substances that decrease photosynthesis, the process by which plants get nutrients. For this project, we chose to experiment natural dyes to reduce their impact on the environment.

 

From the mordanting to the choice of the fabric and the colorants used, we focused all of our choices in a sustainable way. To carry this out, we experimented different dyeing techniques to reduce the use of water as much as possible (eco-printing, direct dye, ice dyeing, waste extraction, solar dyeing) and to develop a range of different shades and patterns.

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Waste types

Natural dyes from greenwaste, foodwaste, mineral and organic pigments | Fabrics: linen,  rPet Format: A4, 21 cm x 29,7 cm | Design © Marie Melcore, Kit Ondaatje Rolls, Eleonora Rombolá, Carolina Kyvik Ruiz, Cassandra Quinn | Photo © Kit Ondaatje Rolls, Eleonora Rombolá MA Biodesign, Central Saint Martins, UAL.

testing mordants
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Natural pigments : madder, cochineal, logwood, weld Fabrics : silk Habotai, plain bleached cotton, wool delaine Mordants : without, iron, alum BA Printed Textiles & Surface Pattern Design, Leeds Arts University.

shibori
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Shibori Fabrics: cotton canvas Format: 15 cm x 20 cm | DSAA Textile Design, E.S.AA.T.

Shibori Fabrics: cotton canvas Format: 2 m x 40 cm | DSAA Textile Design, E.S.AA.T.

eco-print