Did you know that a
great source for natural dyes can be found right in your own back
yard! Roots, nuts and flowers are just a few common natural ways
to get many colors. Yellow, orange, blue, red, green, brown and
grey are available. Go ahead, experiment!
Gathering plant
material for dyeing:
Blossoms should be in full bloom, berries ripe and nuts mature. Remember,
never gather more than 2/3 of a stand of anything in the wild when
gathering plant stuff for dying.
To make the dye
solution:
Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Double the amount of
water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an
hour. Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a
stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.
Getting the
fabric ready for the dye bath:
You will have to soak the fabric in a color fixative before the dye process.
This will make the color set in the fabric.
Color Fixatives:
Salt Fixative
(for berry dyes) 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water
Plant Fixatives
(for plant dyes) 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar
Add fabric to the
fixative and simmer for an hour. Rinse the material and squeeze
out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear.
Dye Bath:
Place wet fabric in dye bath.
Simmer together until desired color is obtained. The color of the
fabric will be lighter when its dry. Also note that all dyed
fabric should be laundered in cold water and separately.
Muslin, silk,
cotton and wool work best for natural dyes and the lighter the
fabric in color, the better. White or pastel colors work the best.
NOTE:
It's best to use an old large pot as your dye vessel. Wear rubber gloves to
handle the fabric that has been dyed, the dye can stain your
hands. It's also important to note, some plant dyes may be toxic,
check with the Poison Control Center if unsure.
A listing of plant material
available for dyes
Shades Of
Orange
Shades Of
Brown
-
Bloodroot will give a good orange to reddish orange color.
-
Sassafras (leaves)
-
Onion skin
- Lichen (gold)
- Barberry (mahonia
sp.) yellow orange (with alum) very strong & permanent.
Any part of the plant will work.
- Turmeric dyed
cloth will turn orange or red if it is dipped in lye.
-
Wild plum root will give a reddish or rusty brown.
-
Oak bark will give a tan or oak color.
- Sumac
(leaves)
- Walnut
(hulls) (deep brown)(wear gloves)
- Tea
Bags (light brown)
-
Juniper berries
- Coffee
grinds
- Acorns
(boiled)
- Yellow dock
(produces shades of brown on wool)
- Beetroot (Dark
Brown With FeSO4)
Shades Of
Pink
-
Strawberries
-
Cherries
-
Raspberries (red)
-
Roses and Lavender, with a little mint and some lemon juice to activate
the alkaloids can make both a brilliant pink dye and a
very tasty pink lemonade.
- Lichens - A pink,
brown, or wine colored dye can be produced from a lichen
known as British soldiers.
Shades Of
Blue - Purple
Shades Of
Red
-
Woad (first year leaves). Woad gives a pale to mid blue colour depending
on the type of fabric and the amount of woad used.
-
Mulberries (royal purple)
- Red
cabbage
-
Elderberries (lavender)
- Grapes
(purple)
-
Blueberries
- Cherry
(roots)
-
Blackberry (strong purple)
-
Japanese indigo (deep blue)
- Red
Cedar Root (purple)
- Red
Maple Tree (purple)(inner bark)
-
Red leaves will give a reddish brown color I use salt to set the dye.
-
Sumac (fruit) (light red)
-
Dandelion (root)
- Beets
(deep red)
- Rose
(hips)
-
Chokecherries
- Madder
-
Hibiscus Flowers (dried)
- Kool-aid
Shades Of
Gray- Black
Shades Of
Red - Purple
-
Iris (roots)
- Sumac
(leaves) (Black)
-
Carob pod (boiled) will give a gray to cotton
-
Pokeweed (berries)
-
Hibiscus (flowers)(dark red or purple ones) make a red-purple dye.
- Daylilies (old
blooms)
Shades Of
Green
Shades Of
Peach/Salmon
-
Artemisia species provide a range of greens from baby's breath to nettle
green.
- Spinach
(leaves)
-
Black-Eyed Susans
- Grass
(yellow green)
- Nettle
-
Plantain Roots
-
Lily-of-the-valley (light green) be careful what you do with the spent dye
bath. The plant is toxic so try to avoid pouring it down
the drain into the water supply.
- Barberry root
(wool was dyed a greenish bronze-gold)
- Red onion (skin)
(a medium green, lighter than forest green)
- Broom
Flower
-
Virginia Creeper (all parts); alum mordant; Peach.
-
Achiote powder (annatto seed
- Plum tree (roots)
(salmon color on wool with alum)
Shades Of
Yellow/Wheat
- Saffron (yellow)
-
Syrian Rue (glows under black light)
-
Red Clover (whole blossom, leaves and stem); alum mordant;
Gold.
Aries (March 21- April 20) Your Horoscope by Susan Miller: Home decorating is back on your front burner, as it was in the autumn, and you're all excited about instituting your plan. The difference is now you'll be ready to get down to brass tacks. With delays and obstacles no longer a factor, you'll see an open path and take it. Mars, your guardian planet, will finally be moving at full throttle from March 4 to May 9, your most energetic window of opportunity. Get your new home selected and furniture ordered during this phase, and you'll be ready to enjoy your space fully by the new moon, July 2. The start of July would be an ideal move-in date, but only if you do all the preparations now and through early May. In the first week of March, Mars will be not opposed to Pluto, so it will be clear that your boss assumes you have no private life nor need one. He feels you should give all your time and energy to your work. Hearing this may be the last straw in a long line of problems you've faced with your current job, and could finally make you pick up the phone and accept an interview with another firm. Happily, with Jupiter in fine angle to the Sun on March 6, you will get a terrific reception and leave the new prospective employer with a good impression. If your present job is where your heart lies, it may be that this domineering boss will calm down after the pressure of the moment disperses. See how you feel. In the third week, at the full moon March 21, a key relationship is about to reach critical mass and a decision will be required, but you may be the last one to see this coming. Again you may feel pressured by a pushy boss, client, or even a family member (parent, mate, or other close kin), who will leave you feeling tense and deficient in some way. Something about this episode will be jarring and upsetting. You will see this person's hidden agenda, so what you decide to do now that you have full information will be up to you. With the full moon falling in a critical degree (one degree, Libra) this episode seems to have ramifications, not only for your relationship, but on the job, too. You may get to the point that you need to say something - even quit or move out. One thing is certain; you won't sit and suffer silently. This all comes down Friday evening, March 21, and continues over the weekend, March 22-23. You will be in action mode, not in a "let's talk it out" mode. All I can say is that if someone pushes you too hard, they will be sorry! Singles will have luck this month in finding and maintaining love. If you hope to meet someone new, circulate when Uranus and the Sun join forces on Saturday, March 8. A blind date scheduled for that day is sure to bring a better-than-anticipated result. You might meet on the Internet, because with Uranus involved, there would be a digital element to your meeting. On the other hand, you may simply meet at Best Buy or the Apple store - or any place that sells electronics. Sounds like you'd have lots in common - enjoy the month! Look for love and it'll find you: March 8 Work on a home improvement plan: March 4 - May 9 Overcome fears about parenthood: March 21
