4. BioChromes

Research

My inspiration for this week's assignment is the concept of "onion skin (waste)"—turning everyday kitchen scraps into beautiful, functional color. I was inspired by the rich, warm shades that can be achieved using the papery outer skins of yellow onion (Allium cepa). This process aligns perfectly with the principles of circularity and sustainable bio-chromes.."

References & Inspiration

specifically researched how the natural tannins and quercetin (a flavonoid pigment) present in onion skins interact with different mordants and fibers.

Dye book - Isobel Leonard: (Reference how she uses kitchen waste for dyes.)

Woven documentation matrix - Riley Cox: (Reference how their documentation organizes multiple test swatches.)

• Two images side-by-side

Tools

1.buckets used for soaking fibers in water before dyeing

2.gloves for hand protection

3.stainless steel used as non-reactive

4.digital scale for measuring

5.respirator or dust mask weared for handling dry poweders

6.Glass containers

7.stove fro cooking dye

8.Onion skins (dry outer layers) — about 2–3 handfuls per 100g of fabric

9.Fabric

10.Water

Process and workflow

Step 1: Prepare the Fabric

1. Wash the fabric with mild soap to remove any oils, dirt, or sizing.
2. Rinse the fabric and let it dry slightly. Keep it damp before dyeing.

Step 2: Prepare the Dye Bath

1. Collect onion skins
2. Place the skins in a pot and add enough water to cover them
3. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 30–60 minutes until the color becomes rich.
4. Strain out the skins and keep the colored water as your dye bath.

Step 3: Dyeing Process

1. Place your damp fabric into the warm dye bath.
2. Simmer gently for 30–60 minutes (avoid boiling to protect the fibers).
3. Stir occasionally for even coloring.
4. For deeper color, let the fabric sit overnight in the cooled dye bath.

Step 4: Rinse and Dry

1. Remove the fabric and rinse gently in cool water until the water runs clear.
2. Hang the fabric in the shade to dry. Avoid direct sunlight to prevent fading.

Ingredients & Recipes

Prepare this recipe ¹ by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:

ingredients

• xxx gr madder root
• xxx gr alum
• xxx gr fabric
• xxx ml xxx
• xxx gr xxx

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

Blue sky

recipe mallow dye on protein and cellulose fibers

• measure
• add
• simmer
• mix
• remove
• strain
• repeat

Documenting experiments

example from the documentation of Petra Garaiová FabTextiles Barcelona 2021-22

TEST 01 - SILK

Material name	Fabric composition	Breathability	Moisture-wicking abilities	Heat retention abilities	Stretchability	Washing temperatures
Silk	Animal fibers - silkworm insect	Highly breathable	High	Low	Low	Cool or warm

RESULTS

Two ways of showcasing and comparing results with images below

On the left an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx. The dye is more xxx. On the right, an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx and xxx. Here the dye is more xxx.

RESULTS

Recycling the dye into pigments

Ingredients & Recipes

Prepare this recipe ¹ by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:

ingredients

• xxx gr madder root
• xxx gr alum
• xxx gr fabric
• xxx ml xxx
• xxx gr xxx

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum."

pink pigment

pigment from left-over dye bath

• measure
• add
• simmer
• mix
• remove
• strain
• repeat

RESULTS

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Recipes

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1. recipe: banana indigo ↩↩