Natural dyeing
- Thread starter rich59
- Start date
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Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
You will have to use natural, un-bleached cloth and for a mordant (the stuff that keeps the dye in) I normally use table salt. I'll whack a load in, I'm not one for measuring 
and it ususally turns out ok.
and it ususally turns out ok.
The problem is that it all depends...
What cloth you are dyeing ?
What you are dyeing it with ?
What mordant you intend to use, or not ?
Have you got a big enough dyebath to move the cloth freely around so that it dyes evenly ?
How hard or soft is your water ?
Where have the plants been grown and when were they picked ?
If you still want to have a go then wool will have the best take up of colour. Alum or Copper mordant (Iron can give you mud colour with them) will give the best results with Elderberries, and if you let them ferment before you use them you will get more colour from the dye liquor ( the fermentation breaks open the colour in the skins, think how staining red wine can be).
Most berry dyes are acid/ alkali sensitive. If you use acid, like vinegar, you will get a pinky type colour. If you add an alkali, like soap or washing soda, you will get greyish blues.
It's interesting though to see what you get. Let us know ?
cheers,
Toddy
What cloth you are dyeing ?
What you are dyeing it with ?
What mordant you intend to use, or not ?
Have you got a big enough dyebath to move the cloth freely around so that it dyes evenly ?
How hard or soft is your water ?
Where have the plants been grown and when were they picked ?
If you still want to have a go then wool will have the best take up of colour. Alum or Copper mordant (Iron can give you mud colour with them) will give the best results with Elderberries, and if you let them ferment before you use them you will get more colour from the dye liquor ( the fermentation breaks open the colour in the skins, think how staining red wine can be).
Most berry dyes are acid/ alkali sensitive. If you use acid, like vinegar, you will get a pinky type colour. If you add an alkali, like soap or washing soda, you will get greyish blues.
It's interesting though to see what you get. Let us know ?
cheers,
Toddy
