I wanted to wear a real beet red tee! I dreamt of real saffron yellow fabric on my skin! Yes I did! Carrots, coffee, cranberries, and conch…
I imagined not only the beauty of it, but also the heightened sense of being grounded. It didn’t work. Vinegar, salt, soda ash…. it did not work. The color washed out quickly and often turned to puce. I have a list of places to buy natural dyes and something called mordent; chemicals to make the color stay. Can I do this in my studio? Once I learned the quantity of materials needed to dye one tee (lbs. of bugs or bark), the cost (omg), and the nature of the chemicals, I got a bit leery. The amount of scientific work made my mind swirl.

I am an art school honor student, well versed in the color theory of Itten and Albers. Color is the greatest playground. In chemistry class I learned about the compositions of pigments (minerals) but never thought about dyes. I looked further and opted to use “traditional” (1950’s) reactive dyes.

In all my studying I never came across a bit of information that startled me to silence. Most dyes in the textile industry are synthetic. 100% of these dyes originate from petrochemicals. Yuck! Why did I ever have to read that! Take it back! A rainbow on an oil slick is now stuck in my head!

My colorful world went grey (and it was winter in Chicago and this didn’t help.) How, when I rest on my green sofa, can I stop thinking that I am laying on oil! How can we wean ourselves off oil if our very world is brightened up by it? What can I do? I wallowed for some time. Mum was the word on what I had found.

So I now wonder, if you take an organic garment, and add any type of chemical to it, does that organic fabric stay organic? Is it better to say “grown organically” so that consumer understands that it has been altered? Is true green color-free? And, what about babies? A baby’s skin is under developed, so new and fresh, thin and open, shouldn’t all baby clothes be dye-free? Wouldn’t that be the wisest choice for infants and the earth?

In the green journey there are wind surges of information that inspire new direction — “Crew, I changed my mind, tact the sails we are now heading north!”

I take change seriously, but as far as color dyes are concerned I will take small gradual steps. No “speed of lightening” action here; my tee shirt collection will stay colorful. I will, however, move to a more knowledgeable palette with time. I had heard, and believed, that being “Green” doesn’t need to require much sacrifice. I now believe that it does. It is my vision of “Green” that is a process requiring time. I am up to the task because I aim to find beauty on the journey to create the ideal “Green” tee.

Currently, I am hand-dyeing tees in my studio and examining all the details to better understand and control each color’s impact. I am admiring all the color I have in reach. My tees tell a story; a new medium for “Green” exploration, not business as usual, as some may think.