NUDE & PINK DYE FROM AVOCADOS

MATERIALS:

Avocados

Water (rain or tap)

Pot & bowl

Strainer

Utensil to stir

For this dye the avocados can be fresh, frozen, or dried. The pits create a nude whereas the skin produce a pinker dye.  Avocados contain anthocyanins, a pigment that varies red, nude, pink and purple depending on the PH, due to this it is easy to alter the colour of the dye using modifiers.

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Firstly, clean the skins and pits by scrapping out the flesh (flesh will turn dye brown) then give them a good scrub. Add avocado pits or skins to a pot (more skins= richer colour) then fill the pots ¾ full of water and slowly heat to 70 – 85’c. Monitor to make sure doesn’t boil and allow this to sit for an hour. For a more intense colour let the dye bath soak overnight and strain the dye. The pigment will now be ready to dye the fiber, use soy milk milk or vinegar as modrant if want to explore various colour tones.