Textile Staining With Whenua
What if we started wearing colours of our whenua again, as a way to identify where we are from?
Nā Lanae Cable - August 2021
Ingredients:
2 cups of soy milk
1 cup of hot water
bandana or cotton/linen fabric
1/2 cup of powdered clay
Soak bandana/fabric in soy milk, let it sit for at least half a day.
Tip: The enzymes in the soy milk serve as a binder for the clay.
Mix clay in with half a cup of water and then massage the clay/water mix into bandana/fabric. The bandana should be covered with clay.
Pour the rest of the water into the bowl with the bandana. Let it sit for at least half a day.
Take bandana/fabric out of the clay + water mix and squeeze out excess liquid into bowl or sink.
Tip: If it looks like the clay will hold well to the bandana/fabric you can also hand wash in cold water.
Hang the bandana/fabric out to dry, once dried it is ready to wear!