4. Biofabricating Dyes and Materials#
Inspirations#
Assignment of the week#
This week could be divided in three big topic:
- natural dyes
- bacteria dyes
- biofabricating materials
This lecture is one of the reason why I choose to apply for Fabricademy. And I really really enjoyed.
Natural dyes#
The first topic we explored is Natural dyes. Here in the TextileLab Amsterdam there’s so many examples from the archive from witch we could get inspiration. We started working on the natural dyes on Wednesday morring. This is how we procced:
The process for Natural dyes#
Weigh dry material#
The first thing to do is to weigh, when they’re still dry, the material we’re going to use.
Wash and scour the fibers#
We must distinguish the preparation for plant and animal fibers:
- Animal fibers :the fibers must be wash with luke warm water and soap. Avoid sudden temperature changes and too much heat.
- Vegetable fibers: wash the fibers for one hour in water and sodium carbonate(soda) using 2 spoons for 4 liter water. The process can be repeated twice.
Mordants#
A mordant is a substance used to set and dyes on fabrics.
We have used three different mordants: alum, copper and iron. For some dye bath the mordant change the final color on the fibers.
More about mordant
In this photos you can se how the different mordant change the color of the fabric and the yarns as soons as they are soak in the solution.
Dye bath#
For this week join us also three other girls: Julia, Lara and Scarlett. Each of us dyed with a different ingredient. I choose the Hibiscus.
Natural dyes’ archive#
I’ve started my archive. The differtent samples of the same dye are divided into iron, copper and alum.
I’m totally in love with dyed velvet.
Cecilia’s recepies and instructions.#
Here you can find the recepies we’ve followed.
In future I would like to work more on natural dyeing with; I would like to dry to dyeing whit:
- butterfly pea tea
- cabbage
- avocado
- mushrooms
Bacteria dyeing#
Janthinobacterium lividum#
These mutualistic bacteria can be found on the skin of the salamander and produce the antifungal compound violacein. The fungal pathogen’s growth will be hindered or it might even be killed by this compound. This way, the purple Janthinobacterium aids the salamander’s immune system.
The dark purple appearance of Janthinobacterium lividum is caused by the substance violacein, produced by the bacterium itself. This pigment is an antioxidant, and also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effects.
Janthinobacterium Lividum
Violacein and biofilm production in Janthinobacterium lividum
Inoculate the petri dish#
Thursday 18-10-18
Cecilia shows us how how to proceed for the dyeing through bacteria. Here the instructions:
- Place the textiles in an autoclave bag for 121 degree;
- Mix growing medium;
- Sterilize the textiles, petri dishes and growing medium in the pressure cooker;
- Sterilize working area with ethanol and the camping gas;
- Tag your petri dishes and pour growing medium;
- Place sterilized textile in the dish;
- Inoculate the petri dish with bacteria;
Kill the bacteria!#
Monday 22-10-18
We killed the bacteria, this also mean sterilize the fabric. We used the pressure cooker and than we’ve washed our textile with water and soap.
The result has been this..
Bio Plastic#
Transparent Algar Foil | Turquoise bio-foam | Textile in bio-Hiscus-resin | Green bio-foam
Bio-hibiscus-resin | Fucisa Bio resin and foam | Bio-hibiscus-resin | Canvas in bio-hibiscus-resin
Recipe for glitter made of gelatine. In glitter we trust!!!
More about Bio-based and biodegradable
plastics – Facts and Figures Focus on food packaging in the Netherlands
Love, share, download the file here!#
Here you can find the recepies we’ve followed.