4. BioChromes¶
Disclaimer! I never thought I would love this process as much as I do!
My relationship with color is complicated—I don’t really like to wear it or even design with it. I’m an all-black type of girl.
So honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for this week. But wow, was I wrong!
It all started when Claudia gathered all the dyed fabric swatches in the lab, laying out a whole rainbow in front of me. She showed us how from just one material, we could create so many different outcomes! Different fibers, different possibilities. The possibilities felt endless.
We began experimenting with the most basic material—onion peels. The most underrated, easily discarded thing created the brightest orange! It’s funny, ironic, and beautifully contrasting.
Let me walk you through my journey of experimenting with color this week!
In the lab, we were introduced to various fibers like local Jordanian wool, merino wool, linens, and straw. We also explored different dyestuffs, such as onion, red cabbage, saffron, and bark.
We learned how to prep fibers for dyeing: from scouring to mordanting, and the different types of available mordants.
The next day was wonderfully calming and therapeutic. We went to a nearby forest to gather local materials to make dyes. We collected pines and acorns!
After a long day in the lab, it was finally time for me to experiment with colors on my own.
I chose to work with Sage Salvia Palaestina, a plant that’s abundant in the Levantine region.
I’m lucky enough to have a huge sage tree in my backyard! Sage is one of my favorite plants because it feels like it represents who we are as a people. The scent, the color—we drink sage with red tea during the colder months. It always reminds me of my grandmother.
I also experimented with pomegranate. While I was looking for materials, I stopped by my favorite juice bar, WeFarm, and they were juicing pomegranates! Luckily, they gave me some of the peels.
I dried the pomegranate peel myself, making sure it was completely free of seeds. I placed it in the oven on the lowest heat setting for 3-4 hours, then let it dry in the sun for nearly a whole day.
Preparing The Fibers¶
This is a two-step process: first, scouring and then mordanting. It’s worth mentioning that all the fabrics dyed in this research were prepped the same way.
I weighed the fibers separately—animal-based and plant-based—since the prepping process differs slightly. Weight of Fiber (WOF) is crucial because it determines how much Alum and Washing Soda I need to add.
The Scouring Process¶
Animal Fibers
I began by preparing the wool and silk. I added warm water but never boiling, as it would damage the fibers. and about 2 tablespoons of dish soap, letting the fibers sit for about an hour.
Plant-Based Fibers
For plant fibers, Such as cotton, Linen, and Muslin. I brought a pot of water to a boil, then added a tablespoon of washing soda. I placed the fibers in the boiling water and let them simmer for about an hour.
The Mordanting Process¶
Animal Fibers
Once the scouring was complete, I rinsed the fibers thoroughly and added alum and warm water, using 10%-13% of the total WOF. I let the fibers sit in this mixture for about an hour, then rinsed them again with water.
Plant-Based Fibers
After scouring the plant fibers, I rinsed them well and added alum with boiling water, again using 10%-13% of the total WOF. I let them sit for an hour before washing them with water.
Dyes¶
Sage Dye¶
I placed the sage in a pot and boiled it for about two hours. Then, I began experimenting with the sage dye on the prepped fabrics.
After the 2-hour boil, I placed the fabrics in the dye bath, I experimented with different folding techniques and also tried to create an ombre effect.
I also put an acorn tied the fiber
I also tried to add fresh sage leaves and stitch the fabric to add a pleated effect but it did not work
I left the soup to marinate overnight and the next day I boiled the fibers for one hour. it became more green and less yellow! which is interesting
Experimenting with Modifiers
Iron
I added iron Sulfate to modify the color. Since I’m an all-black type of girl, I wanted to experiment with darker tones. The iron gave the dye a deeper, richer hue, helping me achieve a darker color palette.
Lemon
I also added lemon to the pure dye bath, and to my surprise, the color lightened. It almost seemed like the dye didn’t take at first, but it actually resulted in a beautiful cream color—something unexpected, yet subtle.
Iron and Lemon
Finally, I combined both iron and lemon in the dye bath. This mix created a stunning army green color, which was such an exciting outcome!
Pomegranate Dye¶
After drying the pomegranate peel, I boiled it with water to create the dye.
One hour later I experimented with one silk fabric and I placed it in the same pot of the mordanting plant fibers
I let the dye bath marinate overnight, and the next day, I placed the fibers in the bath and let them sit for an hour. The result was a beautiful golden color!
Mordants
Iron
I added iron to the bath and placed a piece of fiber in the liquid to marinate overnight without applying any heat.
The next day, I repeated the experiment, but this time I heated the dye bath after placing the fiber in it.
Both colors turned out to be a greyish-black, but the one left overnight had a deeper, darker tone.
I also experimented with wool
Iron and lemon
I added lemon to the iron and pomegranate dye bath. After letting the fibers set, they remained dark but took on a unique dark-golden hue—slightly lighter than the pure iron bath but still rich and deep.
Tree Bark Dye¶
I also experimented with the tree bark that I collected from the forset! which gave a beautiful brown/orange color!
INKs and Pigments¶
waterbased inks¶
I experimented with the sage bath and added various modifiers to create a range of beautiful colors. I used iron, copper, salt, alum, washing soda, and a mix of lemon with iron. Each modifier produced its own unique color, giving me a vibrant and diverse palette to work with.
Arabic Gum Ink¶
I experimented with incorporating Arabic gum into my pomegranate ink, which was modified with iron. I mixed two parts gum powder with one part water, stirring it thoroughly. Then, I added the mixture to my dye bath. I came up with a beautiful grey color!
I also tried to paint with it using the ecualyptus leaf!
Lake Pigment Experiment¶
I also created a pigment using the pomegranate dye bath with an iron modification. First, I weighed the liquid and added 10% alum mixed with warm water. Then, I added 5% washing soda. After that, I strained the mixture, resulting in a rich pigment.
Final thoughts¶
After experimenting with so many colors, especially sage, I chose it because we have an abundance of it in our garden. My father’s best friend planted that tree, and for the past four years, it has supplied us, along with many friends and relatives, with sage. Looking at the colors sage produced, they were earthy, yellow, and incredibly warm—just like the streets of Amman, its landscapes, and even our eye and skin tones.
It felt as though the essence of sage penetrated our souls. Sage is present in every Levantine household, and it carries such deep significance. It’s humbling how something so small, like this plant, can hold so much power over us—just like olives, zeit, and so many other symbols of our culture. Reflecting on it made me emotional, realizing the strength and presence it has in our lives.
