The Dyeing Process: Some tips on dyeing with different materials
From NarratingLandscapes
by User:Kyla
The following is compiled from various dyeing guides and my own experience experimenting with dye plants for My UBC Dye Kit. It is very general and I recommend checking out plant guides and/or experimenting yourself.
Collecting: Collect only where there is enough of the plant material so you will not deplete an entire patch of plants. "Weeds" are especially good to take. Bring a pair of clippers, gloves, and separate bags for collection. Try out different parts of various plants.
Methods:
There are many different ways to create dye from plants. Two common methods include bringing the plant material to a simmer over a stove or on a fire than adding the fiber/fabric, or leaving them in the sun in water, urine, or with another mordant to mature before adding your fiber/fabric.
Equipment:
The vessels you use may affect the results of your dyeing experiments.
Stainless steel is often thought to produce the "truest" results because it will affect the color of the dyebath the least.
Copper may impart a greenish or brownish color.
Iron may darken the color of the bath.
Brass may brighten it (McGrath 1977:10).
A strainer can be used after initially simmering the plant material. Alternatively, a mesh bag to hold the plant material will allow you to keep it in with the fabric. For the purposes of my experiment I left the plant material in with the fibres I was dyeing to make use of as much color as possible. However this was quite messy at times.
I used a fork to stir or mash, but you can use different implements, although wood will usually soak up the dye.
It is also nice to have a tub for pre-soaking your fibres as well.
Fibers:
Unbleached wool is the most recommended fiber for beginning dyers. However, the hair or fur from any animal can be tried (McGrath 1977: 30). Wool needs to be soaked throughly for at least 30 minutes or more in order to allow the dye to deeply penetrate the fabric. In my experiment I soaked wool in warm water with some salt and a little vinegar, in the same temperature as the simmering dyebath to avoid harsh changes in temperature. Wool needs to be treated gently to avoid fraying.
You can also use cotton, or even silk, although it doesn't as easily take the dye and requires a higher ration of plant material to fabric (McGrath 1977: 31). I used 100% cotton facecloths. These often were not as effective as the wool, but this may depend on how you treat the fiber. Synthetic fibers will not often take natural dyes (Robertson 1973: 11). You can also use plant fibers as well, but take care not to bring the dyebath to a full boil or to soak them for too long if they are delicate.
Mordants
Mordant comes from the word "to bite" (Casselman 1980: 24). These allow for increased colorfastness and may intensify or change the color of the dyebath. There are a number of different mordants, some more intense and/or more affective than others:
urine, cream of tartar, iron (ex. water where nails have rusted), ash, alum (Potassium Aluminum sulphate), ammonia, rhubarb leaves, copper, tin, vinegar, common salt, blood, acid juices of fruits
Plant Parts:
Different plant materials benefit from different methods of processing. These are just some general rules for using the various plant materials. The entire plant can also be tried as well.
Leaves: Leaves are best when tender and used immediately to keep the dyebath green instead of brownish in color (Robertson 1977: 35). This is what happened to me when I dyed with dried Stinging Nettle leaves. If the leaves are tough they should be chopped or even soaked.
Flowers: Flowers work best when many are gathered fresh and they are used as soon as possible. They should be simmered only briefly to retain the color (Robertson 1977: 33).
Bark and Roots: Barks and roots should be soaked to soften them. Be careful when removing bark not to girdle the tree because this will kill the tree. Barks are good for preparing leather hides in particular because they have tannin (Robertson 1977: 34).
Berries and Fruit: Berries work best when they are fresh and ripe or even overripe. Mash them to release their juices.
Lichens: These are easier to collect after rain, or when water is poured over them. They can be dried in the sun for storage. Lichens are a category of plants that do not need a mordant because of their chemical composition (McGrath 1977: 28).
Information complied from:
Bliss, Anne 1981. A Handbook of Dyes from Natural Materials. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Cannon, John and Margaret 2003. Dye Plants and Dyeing. Portland: Timber Press.
Casselman, Karen Leigh 1980. Craft of the Dyer: Colour from Plants and Lichen of the Northeast. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Krochmal, Arnold and Connie 1977. The Complete Illustrated Book of Dyes from Natural Sources. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
McGrath, Judy Waldner 1977. Dyes from Lichens and Plants. Toronto: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Robertson, Seonaid 1973. Dyes from Plants. Toronto: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Turner, Nancy J. 2006. Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia. Vancouver: UBC Press.
Supported by the Arts IT Fund at UBC