Author	Message
May Lotito	Subject: Pokeberry dye questions First attempt. I collected about 1/4 pound of berries and smashed them to get the juice. It was of a beautiful deep magenta color. I tried dying two pieces of silk fabrics: silk noil and matelasse weighing 25 g total, with vinegar and aluminum as mordant. I let the mixture simmer a bit then left overnight at room temperature.  The fabrics were dyed into a salmon color, but after washing, it faded to beige. I heard silk doesn't dye as well as wool with pokeberry but I don't have any white wool yarn for control.  I will try later after I have more berries.
greg mosser	Subject: Pokeberry dye questions i’ve known kids who have eaten a relatively large amount of the berries and been fine. i definitely wouldn’t worry about toxicity in cloth.
Jordan Holland	Subject: Pokeberry dye questions I played with poke a lot as a child. I do recall the color fades more than I expected; it's very vivid when fresh. The berries are the least poisonous part of the plant. I have read the berries are even eaten in very small amounts as a preventative for cancer. I've never noticed any issues from contact with skin from any part of the plant on myself.
May Lotito	Subject: Pokeberry dye questions I have some wild pokeberry plants and plan on using the berries for dying silk fabric. From I have read: 1. All parts of the plants are toxic. So is skin contact with dyed fabric a risk? 2. It is color fast if done certain way, I am going to follow one blogger's procedure although she as using wool yarns. 3. It is not light fast. How bad is that? Color changing from bright magenta to dull mauve? If I make a shell out the fabric are the shoulder and top back going to fade faster? Thanks.