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Again, I want to repeat that this is NOT a food blog.
However, the other day I grabbed a bunch of beans and lentils to make soup. While the beans were soaking, I remembered I could use black beans to dye fabric. So I put some black beans in a separate pot and allowed them to sit in water overnight 
while I tore some used bed sheets to a size I could work with
and allowed these to soak overnight as well. 
While the bed sheets continued to soak, I drained the black bean water and brought it to the basement studio.
where I split it between two jars this morning. 
I added alum (a mordant) to one jar, but left the other one plain. 
This is what the black bean juice looks like tonight. The jar on the right has the alum added, so I expect good things from it. I hope to remove the fabric on Friday, thus allowing it to soak for five days in the bean juice.Thank you for visiting and seeing what I'm dyeing to show you today.
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14 thoughtful remarks:
Your ideas for dyeing are very varied, I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Hope you enjoyed the bean and lentil soup, too. Hugs, Valerie
I am curious about the results ... you never cease to surprise me with you experiments! You inspired me to lentils -- shall I cook lentils for lunch?
Happy Day Elizabeth!
Can't wait to see how the fabric comes out Elizabeth. I didn't think alum would make the color so much lighter, so I am curious how different the 2 look. Hope its a good Wednesday. We are having some warm weather-I love it- but maybe some rain. Hugs! Erika
Wow, the jar with no mordant fades away to nothing. I expect the other will turn out great. Fun to experiment and you surely do that - almost daily. You are such a good influence. xox
We like black beans so the next time I'll save the soaking water. I wonder how it would work on paper.
hmmm....black bean juice?! hadn't thought of that...wonder what color it may really turn out as? some other vegetable dyes have unexpected results. I think onion juice looks brown, but the dyed fabric turns out yellow...not sure, as it's not something I've tried. This is the thing about your blog that I love...how you let us in on your experiments! have a wonderful week dear...we are enjoying warm temps in Ohio this week. hope you are too...without any severe weather! ♥♥♥
and now I'm hungry for black bean soup ;)
Look forward to the reveal, this is recycling in a great way, why waste the soaking liquids, I will be thinking twice in future.
Yvonne xx
Oh Elizabeth-I never thought to use the bean "juice" as a dye! Thanks for sharing:)
Bean juice wouldn't have been first in my thoughts! Very nice -- can't wait to see how you incorporate it in your art! (Have you tried tumeric? It certainly does a grand job staining my counter!)
How interesting E!
Love your bean photo to start out with and oh how exciting to see the mordant bean water looking so colorful.
You have everyone on the edge of their seats :-)
oxo
Interesting what a difference the alum makes.
Another great experiment - I shall look forward to seeing the results! I bet that soup was delicious too! Hugs, Chrisx
Looking forward to the results tomorrow
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