As you can tell from the title, today I will be dyeing fabric using orange peels.
Some of you have seen this bowl of mandarin oranges before.
You may also recall I purchased
the oranges for the peels because their outer skins are much thinner
than regular oranges.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_4BRWg_oCyxASWS1bo0fCl5hZnx4B8RqguL9oXc7fa-wX42jLg1a1bMSpjnzpR-M3n9F-pe_O1mZOn8HNBmvISI4YX0jfLtvLC934SPjBrkoAVG3BnsqmZQoKcC4V5ct8_1FS9R0QoqyZxMhbpQDoWd-lYSIsH2fStjNISW45aZPsjR4PBE/w640-h480/3.jpg)
I added water to the peels and cooked them in the microwave oven for 30 minutes on 30% power. I know ALL reputable web sites will tell you to cook them on the stove in a steel pot for an hour, but those sites also have a bigger budget than I have. I am trying to conserve electricity, the cost of which is through the roof right now. By using the microwave, I am hoping to 1) save on electricity and 2) achieve basically the same results.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRjrlLBdY18RP1sjAS7PVXPCa1Dh9dw_F1KAmobTxPrZiKwONcDjK1TUV2vN4iULfI3dCszG5f8uTD5iXnLprbOAqJ8iArI7ka6h8-4Edn4_lWg0c8H-576cZF0z7Rf-9ySe8IcQL_S1wPHvV35Ilj3eZ5IWSH6Zbm1-71RxtGZo4Jt1dEBA/w640-h480/4.jpg)
As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't sure I had the right color, but I decided it was probably not
going to get much darker. Using a strainer dedicated to crafts, I
removed the peels. I wondered if I should have cut or torn them a bit
more before I cooked them.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReALO6cHKqAm2SxQk4jlsbwUOIi3v0hZs3999X6SGM7uHg9xCpNxEu4n-i3sKVi3rXPs_E9Luka6s0f8LpEp5Jc1IsK_Lk6VsX78eQarfUad7cql5zUvmHNkUFjZWCwyKmWqUA6IgtZgMyAeD-yVyYQW0tD8B2OxPMADV2smDFlKb2wvsg4A/w640-h480/5.jpg)
At least they were easy to remove from the bath.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKu7okZ3Z5jyxU6Kvx53qd0fScv-t1T6r2AblciCVEmHP2i-wzJCOPZCNeSk-QRG_5DTeIQaFsLTqX_alO-eAQ7UweoaJg5Jogx6CcrpnGlwc_UCoCnw2yEr7tDtKHilpgfEmuEpPXa4nvOR7DyP3LjE0ck5o5l6V8axBP7_GeUriqZwIrmEo/w640-h480/6.jpg)
I had to
wait overnight until the liquid cooled sufficiently before I
continued. BTW, the spent peels went in my compost pile.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh4l-pciqVMzq6pQ3Dt32GNBpcLVA48nomVQjuI1moHkr5-K1-LRj42TUR-eXMjmGBZ3hKsKb-cyKWsukN-fES06NdJSpgJlmdPzJLfOnDTJC6U3pQ_S73LPgdyQXbG_MWJUWxszFJyUIxA6mS0z3P_Xdj0zw35i8gvTUl1zHxg0pNBtcDSQo/w640-h480/1.jpg)
I took my orange peel juice to the basement and tore several pieces of old white bed sheet. I left the fabric in my dye bath overnight.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVM_MISxeMca4TxiYvfYsSYNQFGvgyg30uVdLJJwNY8lPZvVA1Lv_PuniPUUj4E7s1PePRBxl9mTnXgh8PjRxwK_ZTPMloac4Pogs92IHwmggFI0KX77azcylpx0KkYUd633DpbjmkgO3khSySx2IWd0n0tLoGrN-5qhU-pKexWYqIMVwQQPg/w640-h480/2.jpg)
I then microwaved the fabric and dye bath for two minutes at 100% power.
I had to clean my lens so you could see the fabric.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZcGKO-BlspjgJyaYVOt2Qrax_L15V_DtSAtE3_6Ner32O77q1BsqCPK1CVMnFWNNZgrTkSrY53-eKcEheFQ2_4ig7HW7vJacyDmuXs3azWJg7yImnDr6MbYJCWkJkXwa91HSsFur-2NQ5T6nt84cNdGUnhCkdR9BXbMZLyVhSI1w5bz0olM/w640-h480/4.jpg)
Two more minutes at 100% power.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP_MSgzjwX-bXH6E4tpLAjw8xHRyHW2tCUfTRZZdjuNpRxn-ZMXxMh0sjHf67cJGW_-YXet6LRbCYI2jRAYwIbBRgj4YMaev8VjkgGZRKg4QwsVzc0oQG9AuSmfXFc5nda6SO_gWq40zPmnlwnMx88knD35siRc1yOeycrID31aAcV2otULA/w640-h480/5.jpg)
Then I flipped the fabric over in the dye bath
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJBIa6TgnR_rp_O1DQ-YBVjYFBR99dXc4D2aSTyvDsY7UAVcFtaoOd0AJ2O6WJWSbVMm8pjSzF3ZzR8gGim55MoAY6mOMLiKPNIoLTjNwQBK6Poqe22viee7OxddoCmj-QhmpqkAq9K9Xpt2FS6LlHztmjuEDIAFcuuAGzI5vl_wLTLe6wwI/w640-h480/6.jpg)
and cooked it in the microwave for another two minutes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgch_ITSZbWqAK6_aATxuzIBcHAkADuMCy8o_pOw45L6AVi-rCD8xiTasTsA6RdU4Dkrv5dj2EhlN7P9eTthByUAxhKxnTgO0n8_P1nlojtPXplqsz2BuUjF8-eZrFbpOtl0GeySe0bHp7pVxTr7mtaki2OHKGNGeYhEU0LlGc7dqD2QfniLFA/w640-h480/7.jpg)
Then it was time to remove the fabric from the dye bath and allow it to dry. The color is MUCH brighter in the photo than it really is.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRj8xLkQfjJ5deKdpzzd8kYm4r63QyjGc6BdFKo70UojBkJKDhecRFpa_lrkaz6AbBqrZcR_yDYGWQo-gOpi_ipNDRJlUzI2QpoiIIkca6vqpoW4MlUXKTTD9OddBLZfbtwIOK7Mzi8TwZk8AzikdJWIy5q0NKkrAU_hccrlBpjFsp2HADCg/w640-h376/8.jpg)
After two days in my cold kitchen, the fabric was still quite wet. I knew I had to iron it anyway, so I decided to kill two birds at once.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wDp1j1tM3EQv57kwfjQqhQ6Lr8n7KQkriFUGbmBNvkgA2mH7uh3X2u04LRYi3zP8KWYwUVuoAkmKLS5F8zxkQJ2_CRva93LwQw7nzC6M8Up0qooHQhFAc1wuYu8UWrp6aNkbgR3-Fj8x5K-Cd48azhIP9c52qrOCZ9vSyWtffPNfB1auIqs/w640-h480/9.jpg)
Fabric 1 is ready to iron. The color isn't as vibrant as the photo suggests, but I love the mottled look I was going for.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Y9Nyau_lghCIIMULutVetJiVyDW2BDJmycZHIuMBXBS8l1W-56evE2aPChGbBbR6Ze6YtNEW4iuH_ONC-gT-DHs2rOOd576wUtKvy1swp8FFS7ixEVu3BpC4xpDusO2Tx_NkxX3RSONGCiOSWcnv-g8GN1JQhdv97NDNzJWJoXkLN487ZCw/w640-h480/10.jpg)
Fabric 1 ironed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2mZoM2oCGWSAenjgkCFobLg_ZKONOCJeAeQ6WTxg_kgIPbeT6W99xM1E2UX4mI2_Zjfl68N1DT2Mh_q1P1uXBbWoolvfgVxDKXcq2mBrbbLO_8MoWseeEk-KwYzt_3fQ25GW1xKpebwJMPeQapWtqIcdh7LgYcvCRRoN3xZJaMKR5dqephc/w640-h420/11.jpg)
Fabric 2 wet.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy0Y8LxMupsFuHhQPur2vajKd2kxjtPQ4vTLP_SswHnljiollcr_lpwYrgvrlJOfDnjALafINOILkfmwvNtoIaYTuMM80h9rDpo3T_2DEguO6OQbAAaD-Wno1FdcFY8_m2YPduQphzST_jqTI40OZcj5FODv0NJgRP0JBkLlG81Ithj9qPTc/w640-h480/13.jpg)
Fabric 2 ironed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HnbaMy2EimfLTWAwfJymbx_RTF6ECM7QlqWCISGcvi5wnBj2yF8t1T8qJshADcxDVX8Jak2LxJFNXnf0o6JnH_M6hZjnnSuZtOvj9J__lgECDgaMuPH87mYEBJsWH-txFdjNMYDxN3dkUlDYXcJo--B8s7K0jsw8uDBBEmslUgmjgXAOrgw/w640-h480/14.jpg)
Sometimes the back side is even better looking than the front (of course, there is no real front or back, just one side or the other).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMnCCYXc5DkK66OnaEnbYmuaWurDHs7WUiOieeHS5lBC_MtyBPpqqnfHhbgt0uGcmMalIlpF-WRSeulbHUeFzukpQZz7r2mZRoJF59GYHUPwreMdW8mQmY_bCmqfCy5X_CH7XZNWo6iXjBdINdBW7ePqmoi5KukWlYMwtLCgztrG5Kg_NPVo/w640-h480/15.jpg)
Fabric 3 wet.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPmtckdGnTkY8Xf2XGBQv-W_qqf794KIJkVE0HsBKmuXddxCWZ0vY1usEN35K3G1lPCa5Oc9UzBhK20OCxc1e0WVNIHEfv61OSz08wH4voOIKU8ZiXySoedEq3QWYRPCyrsJolIQOgxiQyZdM7Nbwe2X9oTAw9gkQobZY6tf33FOsYzGEsUk/w640-h480/16.jpg)
Fabric 3 ironed.
Ruminations:
1. Orange peels should have been cut or torn into smaller sizes, which would have given a darker dye bath.
2. I wish I'd had more time before I had to publish. I would have scanned a couple of the fabrics so you could see the true colors I got. They are not as bright as my photos show. However, they are mottled, which I love.
Thanks ever so much for joining me today. As soon as this tutorial goes live, I will share it on my tutorials page.
14 thoughtful remarks:
This is really a great tutorial, Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing the steps with us. I had seen it until you removed the peels, but now the microwave process seems very interesting. I would not have thought to put it in the microwave, I think I would have left the fabrics in the bowl overnight. But putting the bowl with the fabrics in the microwave is a clever idea. Your dyed fabrics are great. I am sure you will use them in a great way (maybe in your journals?). Hugs, my friend.
Gorgeous colours, and I hope you enjoyed eating the mandarins! Have a great day, take care, hug, Valerie
Great tutorial (if somewhat time-consuming, and I started training again!).
Oh, but I really want to make T-Shirts like what I did in 7th grade now! Batik, we called it! Right? So 1970´s like. Come March and the work-pressure is maybe down.... or summer, when you can do that on the balcony...
Your outcome is great.
But I want a T-Shirt now ;-) And those trousers (I still have a pair! Ingo hates them - and they are like really worn...).
I too love the mottle effect. And it came out much more orange than I expected it would. I wonder if you dyed the fabric with the peels chopped small and left in the liquid with the fabric would make any difference. It might be a bigger mess to clean though. Happy Thursday!
Good morning, I just posted my project with mandarin orange peels too-you got a lovely yellow! Did you add a mordant to the fabric? I have never used the microwave for dye projects before.
I did not get a light yellow-but more of a brown yellow-I think mine will be used for paint on watercolor papers. thanks for sharing hugs
For a minute I thought I was on Kathy’s blog. 😂You girls are having fun and learning from each other. Lovely yellows!
Pretty! It's fun to see the colors you can get from natural dyes.
I love the colors you got! Very pretty!
I'm glad Kathy popped in here.. I was going to let you know about her post with orange peels.. Maybe you two can brainstorm together.. Love the yellow you achieved Elizabeth! Hugs! deb
Lovely yellow achieved
I would never have thought about using orange peels for a dye and what a pretty color. Good job!
I like the yellow you achieved here.
All the best Jan
Ohhh Elizabeth this is fantastic. I am so in love with the color of the fabric. Just stellar. FFO is up early. Thought you would like to know. Have a very nice evening.
That's a lovely yellow Elizabeth. A lovely finish too, Hugs, Chrisxx
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