dyeing natural materials - notes on using natural dyestuff and mordants

posted 4 years ago

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I've gathered information on plants and mordants in preparation for dyeing using the three methods described in the Straw Textiles Badge.

Resources
Walsh, P. (2010). Spinning, dyeing, & weaving: Self-sufficiency. In Spinning, dyeing, & weaving: Self-sufficiency (pp. 60-85). New York: Skyhorse Pub.
Kendall, T. (2011). The fabric & yarn dyer's handbook: Over 100 inspirational recipes to dye and pattern fabric. London: Collins & Brown.

Dyestuff

plants with dyes that are colorfast, reliable, and easy to use that you can grow
woad
madder
safflower
weld
goldenrod
marigold
coreopsis
buckthorn
iris
camomile
Ladies Bedstraw
Dyer’s Greenwood
dalia

more plants and weeds
Alkanet
apple twigs
gorse
heather
rhubarb
tansy
nettles
dandelion
feverfew
gallnuts - gall wasp nests on usually found on oak trees
oak bark (tanins give brown - seen used on pig hide)
acorns

natural dyes without a garden - most need a mordant
avocado skin - pinks
beetroot
union skins
carrot tops
carrot parings
swede skins
tired spinach leaves
weeds
nettle
ragwort
dandelion
ivy leaves

more natural dye options
indigo
turmeric
saffron
blueberries
fustic
logwood
murex seashell
cochineal

mordant
dye and mordant as two separate steps for plant material/fiber to ensure colorfast (see pages 68-71 (Walsh) for recipes)
mordants improve takeup of dye and to fix the color

ALUM: gives truest color - other mordants five greenish or yellowish tinge
use 10% - example 32 ounces fiber & 3.2 ounces alum

mordant recipes from Kendal p.24)
for 4 ounces of wool and silk use 1/2 tablespoon alum, 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar, and 2/3 cup of water
for 4 ounces of cotton and linen use 4 teaspoons alum, 4 teaspoons tannic acid, and 1 cup of water

plant mordants
rhubarb stalks
rhubarb leaves
privet leaves
sumac leaves
nettles
lemon skins

basic or alkaline
urine
woodash
washing soda

Acidic
citric fruits
rhubarb
sumac leaves
vinegar

copper coins surface is alkaline and reacts with acid - not sure how to use as mordant

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Nicole Alderman

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posted 4 years ago

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Opalyn Rose wrote:
plants with dyes that are colorfast, reliable, and easy to use that you can grow

woad

Not sure if this is actually easy. I think it has to be fermented or treated with ammonia to dye blue reliably. This video shows what unsuccessful woad dying can look like:

But, I've also never attempted working with woad or indigo, so maybe there's a trick others know to make it easier?

copper coins surface is alkaline and reacts with acid - not sure how to use as mordant

Apparently, older coins work better, as they have a higher copper content. You soak them in vinegar, or vinegar+hydrogen peroxide (aka paracetic acid) to get a coppery liquid.

I used copper pipes to make stain for my son's chessboard, to get a truer copper mordant, and then ignored the remaining stain and came back to nice blue copper crystals that work as a mordant. (I wrote about it here in the PEP Oddball thread)

Here's the liquid mordant/stain I made before it was used/evaporated down to crystals:

Maiwa has some nice, free PDFs on natural dying here.

Aurora silk also has free ebooks on natural drying --you just have to give them your email address to get them. Here's the link

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