Aurora Natural Dyes

7/29/2019 Aurora Natural Dyes

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http://www.aurorasilk.com/

Tutorial: How To Dye Black with Natural Dyes

by Cheryl Kolander. Excerpted fromTrueFibers.

Aurora Silk sells a full selection ofnatural dyesandmordants.

For ideas on which dyes and which mordants to use, view ourNatural Dye colour Chart.

For more detailed dyeing recipes, readBrilliant Colours!by Cheryl Kolander.

After recording the dry weight of your fiber, wet the fiber out in warm or hot water.

STEP I: TANNIN

2 oz. tannic acid per pound of fiber (dry weight)

OR: 4 oz. tara sawdust per pound of fiber, extracted twice

OR: 3 oz Catechu (Cutch) extract per pound of fiber with optional 1/2 oz copper mordant

1. Dissolve tannic acid or catechu extract in hot water.

2. Heat the solution to approximately 200 F.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Enter the silk (or other fiber) that has been thoroughly wet out in warm to hot water.

5. Set to soak for at least 24 hrs, stirring occasionally.

STEP II: IRON

1/2 to 1 oz Ferrous Sulphate per pound of fiberUse the lesser amount for fine silk yarn and soft wools. Use the greater amount forwild silk and other fibers.

1. Dissolve the iron in warm water.

2. Soak fiber in a mild soap solution about 15 minutes to neutralize the acid in the tannin

(which couters the effect of the iron). This step is not necessary if you used Catechu

for STEP I.

3. Add fiber to warm iron solution and soak for about 20 minutes.

4. Remove fiber from iron solution, wring excess solution from fiber, and hang to air 20

minutes to 1 hour.

5. Save this iron bath for STEP IV.

At this point, the colour should be a dark grey. If it is not a good dark grey, or if it isuneven, return to the iron solution. Add a bit more iron first and stir well todissolve, then let the fiber soak again another 20 minutes. Don't forget to air thefiber afterwards to complete the oxidation process.
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STEP III: LOGWOOD - FUSTIC

12 oz. to 1 lb. of logwood shavings per pound of fiber1/2 oz. fustic extract per pound of fiber

1. Extract logwood shavings three times.

2. Add fustic extract. This neutralizes the blue tone of the straight Logwood.

3. Submerge the fiber and heat to just below boiling point for at least two hours, up to all

day or even all night.

4. Let fiber cool in the dyebath.

5. Save this "Black Liquor" to be used the next time you dye black. Just strain off any mold

or slime that may form.

STEP IV: IRON1. Return fiber to room temperature iron bath.

2. Let soak overnight.3. Hang to air overnight or until the material starts to dry.

STEP V: RINSE OR REPEAT

At this point, if you are happy with the depth of the colour, rinse the fiber until the

rinse water is barely tinted by the dye, hang to dry and enjoy!

If the fiber does not look completely black at this point, repeat steps III and IV until

desired colour is acheived.

TIP: If you have acidic water, try adding a bit of ammonia to the logwood dyebath

to acheive a deeper black.

Both the logwood dyebath and the iron bath can be saved and reused indefinitely.

Assume about 25% of the dyes and mordants are still in the baths when calculating

how much logwood, fustic, and iron to add for the next batch.


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LOGWOOD

by Cheryl Kolander

Aurora Silk 2010

The Tree:

TheLogwoodtree is one of the prettiest trees

on the planet. The leaves are like lace. Each

little leaflet is the shape of a small heart. Two

rows, with their pointy ends attached to a

flexible mid-rib, flutter in the breezes. The

whole canopy is intersections of these lacy

hearts.

The trunk of the Logwood tree grows in a

unique formation. It buttresses itself, like

most tropical or very old trees do near their

roots. The Logwood tree grows this buttress

form all the way up the trunk. The older the

tree, the more it looks like several trunks that

have grown together. Though many trunks

may grow from one root cluster, each trunk is

individual, even when it looks like six or eight trunks packed tightly. A cross section looks like a

flower with many open petals. In really old trees even the buttressing trunks have buttresses!

The sap of the tree is very dark, richly maroon red and abundant. If the tree is wounded it oozes

this sap to heal the wound. It looks like dried blood, thus the Latin name Haematozylon =

Bloody sap.

The Dye Stuff:

It is the heartwood that is the dyestuff. When

the tree is cut, the inner wood is a dark rust-

red. This is the dyestuff. The outer softwood,

or sapwood is a light beige. It contains no dye.

The bark is usually thick and rough. Like all

barks it contains brown tannins, but it is not

the source of the rich purples and black that is

the value of this dyestuff.

For quality dyestuff, the tree or a large branch

is cut. All the bark and all the sapwood must
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be removed. This is typically done by hand with a machete. Then the beautiful dark heartwood is

rasped, shaved, planed or hammer-milled into a form suitable for dye extraction. TheLogwood

prepared forAurora Silkis planed into shavings because I find that this is the most convenient

form for maximum extraction. While a finer rasped sawdust will extract more in the first boil, the

dust goes right thru a sieve, and fills the textile with annoying bits of wood. I have found this to

be so important that I hand carried an electric power planer into the country as part of the

Logwood Project.

After shaving or rasping, the wood needs further attention to develop its dye power. As fresh

raw heartwood, it is moist and ferment-able. This quality is exactly what makes Logwood such a

potent medicine: it is actually a triple anti-oxidant when a tea is prepared from the wood at this

stage. For the red medicinal Logwood tea, export quality, the shavings are quickly dried. On the

other hand, to develop the finest dye quality, the still moist shavings are placed in a container

and allowed to ferment. In the tropics, at 90 degrees even at night, fermentation is complete in

a few days. In old books which describe the Logwood trade of the 1800's, the same fermentation

could take up to a month in England.

As the red heartwood ferments, the colour changes from red to maroon to deep reddish brown.

The best dyewood is in the maroon to deep reddish brown stage. If the wood is over-fermented,

the colours given will be greyish and aged looking even when just dyed. They will also turn grey

brown, losing the desirable purple cast, much quicker than the rich and vibrant purples of

properly aged wood. This is the crux of the problem of dyeing brilliant and fast purples with

Logwood extract, a pre-prepared water soluble powder, used for histology staining. Such purples

may be bright at first but I have had them turn grey-brown in under a year, with minimal

exposure. By comparison I have my own Logwood-shavings dyed silks still vibrant rich purple

after 40 years.

To Dye with Logwood

Logwood is a Mordant Colour, which means

the textile material must be pre-mordanted,

that is, prepared by soaking in a solution of

some metal that has been dissolved in some

acid. Today these are easily obtained as

prepared crystals: either Alum (Potassium

Aluminum Sulphate; Ammonium Aluminum

Sulphate) or Tin (Stannous Chloride), for

purples; or Iron (Ferrous Sulphate; rusty iron

dissolved in vinegar; iron rich dirt) for greys.

Copper (Copper Sulphate) can also be used to
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give bluer purples.

The dyestuff itself are these maroon mottled wood shavings. Properly prepared, they will have

very little contamination of pale sap-wood, dirt or bark. Be aware that someone else may cut

down a tree, pushing it all into a chipper-grinder. Then you will see lots of pale pieces, shredded

bark and even dirt and rocks at the bottom of the bag. Avoid this, and question the supplier.

Remember also that some other dark coloured heartwood, such as ebony which is dark but

contains only a little grey dye, could be mixed in. And with an extract pre-prepared, the chance

for adulteration is regrettably high. Extract prepared for histology must be US Pharmaceutical

certified honestly Logwood, but it's price is extremely high.

Shavings or sawdust, the procedure is the same as for all Natural Dyes: soak the stuff in water

till it is well wet, usually overnight for woody dyestuffs. You will get more dye out by this

presoak, but if time is an issue, just:

PUT THE LOGWOOD IN SOME WATER AND BOIL.

After 20 minutes of boiling, strain off the dye liquid. Return the wood to the first pot, add more

water and

BOIL AGAIN

After two boils almost all the dye is out of the shavings or sawdust. Combine the two waters,

and

LOOK AT THE COLOUR.

This is really important: if your water is acid, the liquid will look orange-red. It needs to have

added to it: Ammonia (liquid, from the grocery store) until it changes to a nice Concord Grape

juice hue. If you are dyeing silk or wool, only use ammonia. If you are dyeing cotton or rayon or

hemp, you can also use Chalk (real chalk, Calcium Carbonate), or in a pinch, Baking Soda.

Once the hue of the dyebath is correct, add the textile that has been pre-mordanted. If needed,

add more water, so the textile can be moved around, for evenness of dying. Move it about, stir it

a bit, and

When it's as dark as you like, it is done. That's all there is to it!

If it's not as dark as you want (and remember it will lighten on rinsing and lighten more on

drying), then heat the dyebath. Heat gradually and with stirring, so the colour will be as even as

possible. Give it more time: the pot can sit and cool overnight.


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Rinse and dry.

Proportions:

Alum20 25% by weight of fibre or

Tin3 5% by weight of fibre (= oz per pound of textile=2 tsp.)

Iron3-5% by weight of fibre

Copper3-5% by weight of fibre

Logwood, best, aged from theDominican Republic Logwood Project:

25% by weight of fibre for dark purple (on Alum), dark violet (on Tin), dark blue-purple (on

Copper), dark grey-charcoal (on Iron)

10% by weight of fibre for light purples, medium greys

Proportions and colours obtained with other sources of Logwood may vary from this article

which is based on 42 years experience with true Logwood : Haematozylon campechianum, and

especially with the current finest quality Logwood shavings from the Logwood Project in the

Dominican Republic, as developed by Cheryl Kolander, Master Natural Dyer, who is Aurora Silk.

Current world source: www.aurorasilk.com

FAQ:

Acid stains:

Remember how we corrected the too-red, acid dyebath to make it nicely purple? If acid is spilled

on the Logwood dyed purple it will turn that part back to reddish. What to do?! Apply as soon as

possible the antidote: ammonia, chalk or baking soda, and the purple should re-appear. A neat

magic trick could be made up using this colour-shift property!

Black with Logwood special dye, see directions on True Fibres

FAQ:

Can I grow Logwood?

The natural range of Logwood is the sub-tropics. Any place where it freezes, Logwood would

have to be grown in a greenhouse. Since it needs to become a large tree for the dye-filled

heartwood to develop, this is not very practical. It is, however a very pretty ornamental, with its

small lacey heart shaped leaves.
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Originally Logwood grew only in a small area of southern Mexico, the Yucatan and what is now

Belize and Honduras, in the Atlantic coastal areas. Its Latin name Heamatozylon campechianum

means Blood-red sappy wood from the Bay of Campeche, which is the coast of the Yucatan. The

flag of Belize depicts a Logwood tree and beside it two Logwood cutters, one white and one

black, with machetes in hand. Belize used to be called British Honduras and was created as a

state by the British as a source of Logwood. Until then, from the discovery of this dyestuff in the

New World until early 1700's, Logwood harvesting and trade was controlled exclusively by Spain.

In order to increase production of this valuable dyestuff, Spain seeded Logwood in all her

territories in the Caribbean. There it has gone wild. It is completely naturalized on Hispanola

(The Dominican Republic) and is presumed to be growing on all the islands. The British are

credited with bringing it to Jamaica, where harvesting Logwood is a traditional occupation of

rural Rastafarians. There are some who believe Logwood arrived on these islands way before

Europeans, either brought by the Mayans or by sea-going birds.

Hawaii is a location where Logwood grows happily. There is a specimen tree in the Botanical

Gardens in Honolulu whose rapid growth indicates the potential. It has not been planted in

Hawaii as a crop for dye but it could be. The Philippines are another likely location where

Logwood could be grown. Southern Florida, Texas and California are locations in the continental

US that would be worth trying, although an occasional wrapping with blankets during frost

warning would be advised.

The easiest way to propagate Logwood is to dig up small seedlings that have sprouted under a

mature tree, and transplant them to a desired location. It can also be grown from seed. There is

no need to use good farm land to grow Logwood! It prefers poor soil, even growing in nearly

pure sand by the beaches. Because the younger branches have some thorns, it is often planted

as a living fence. Edging fields, along roads, next to ditches, in gullies, it is excellent for erosion

control. Because it is a legume, it fixes its own nitrogen. Because it is deep rooted, it can find

water. Because it is producing the natural insecticides that are the dye molecule, it is naturally

healthy.

Other Uses

Honey:

Logwood flowers are sweet and abundant. Logwood is an excellent honey tree.

Medicine:

Unaged Red Logwood is considered a tonic tea. It is a triple anti-oxidant. The reddish to blue-

toned colour molecule is similar to the anthrocyanins in berries and red wine, that have been

proven to have anti-cancer activity. Red Logwood is currently being tested as an anti-cancer

treatment. The tea is made cold, by soaking Red Logwood in pure water at room temperature in


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a closed container, at least overnight. Four cups is drunk as tea over the day. This research is

being conducted in the United States and other research is being done in other countries.

Other medicinal uses are given in A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve, Harcourt Brace & Co

1931, reprinted by Dover 1971 (page 496):

Medicinal Action and Uses: A mild astringent, especially useful in the weakness of the bowels

following cholera infantum. It may by used in chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, in hemorrhages

from uterus, lungs, or bowels, is agreeable to take, and suitable whether or not there is fever. It

imparts a blood-red colour to urine and stools. It is incompatible with chalk or limewater. The

patient should be warned of these two characteristics . . .

The infusion, internally, combined with a spray or lotion, is said to have cured obstinate cases

of foetid polypus in the nose.

Hair Dye

In the Caribbean Logwood is still used as a natural hair dye. It imparts a glossy blueish black to

dark hair. A strong dye solution is made by boiling aged heartwood with Cassia bark a

cinnamon. No mordant is used traditionally, as it is found the natural oils of the hair capture and

hold the colour.

Experiments at the Aurora Silk dyeworks have used Logwood with Iron (ferrous sulphate

crystals) to first make a black dye. This is worked into the hair, wrapped up and left for a few

hours then lightly rinsed. It is best for dark hair on dark skin, or for streaking.

Fencing

Often planted as a living fence, Logwood is also cut and sold for fence posts. Its dye-rich

resinous heartwood resists all forms of microbial rot, as well as attack by insects or rodents.

Histology

Logwood is one of the classic stains for microscopic work. Logwood extract can always be

purchased from Science suppliers as all the classic texts have pictures of cells stained with

Logwood.

PAP smears depend on this staining with Logwood to correctly read the cellular evidence.

Tutorial: How To Use Natural Dyes

by Cheryl Kolander. Excerpted fromHEMP! for Textile Artists, 1995. Modified March 2003.
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Aurora Silk sells a full selection ofnatural dyesandmordants.

For ideas on which dyes and which mordants to use, view ourNatural Dye colour Chart.

For more detailed dyeing recipes, readBrilliant Colours!by Cheryl Kolander.

This tutorial explains how to dye any fibre material (yarn, fibre, thread, fabric, etc) with natural

dyes.

Principles of Natural Dyeing

1. Most natural dyes need both a plant extract and a mineral mordant to make a

permanent colour.

2. The stronger the dye extract, i.e., the more plant used, the deeper the colour.

3. Mineral (metal salt) mordants are always used in the same PROPORTION. One can use

less for a pale colour, but NEVER USE MORE, as too much metal can harm the fibre.

4. All recipes are given as PROPORTIONS. Typically, amounts are for 1 pound of fibre. If

you are dyeing more, increase the amounts, proportionally; if less, decrease, always

proportionally, i.e. if you are dyeing 1/2 lb, use only 1/2 the recipe amount.

5. TIME - TEMPERATURE - CONCENTRATION are the variables involved in any chemicalreaction. Higher temperature means less time needed for dyeing, as does higher

concentration of dyestuff.

6. Prepare your textile material for the rigours of the dyebath: put FIBRE in a MESH BAG;

tie YARN IN SKEINS, using thin yarn ties; PRE-WASH FABRIC or garments to remove any

sizing.

7. NO RUSH. Work time is not that much, but process time can be several days.

Equipment and Materials

Use big pots with plenty of room for the material to move freely. Otherwise the colour will dye

very unevenly.

Since these recipes use only alum and iron for mordants, and completely non-toxic dyestuffs,

any type of pot is okay to use. If you work just with alum and iron, most dye work can be done

in plastic buckets with the cold soak method below (except the dye extraction itself). Stainless

steel or unchipped enamel are recommended. Aluminum pots will take more scrubbing to clean,

and may stain permanently with dark dyes. Iron darkens colours, so iron pots should be used

only with recipes that call for iron. Just make sure you scrub your pot thoughly after use or you

may end up with pink spaghetti. If other mordants are used, use a stainless steel pot dedicated

only to dyework because there will always be residue and you wouldn't want to eat from these

pots.

Step 1: Preparing material and dye

Mordanting your fibre material:

WEIGH your textile material. All recipes are proportional, just as in cooking.

ALUM: Divide the weight of the material to dye BY FOUR. Weight out that much alum

mordant. A scant two tablespoons equals one ounce of alum. Add the alum to the pot,
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and almost fill with warm water. Leave enough room to add the wet textile material. Stir

until fully dissolved.

OTHER MORDANTS: oz (two teaspoons) per pound fibre for tin, chrome, iron and

copper.

Wet out the textile in warm water.

Add the wet textile. Gently stir so that it is opened out in the solution.

HEAT until the pot is hot, stirring occasionally for evenness of colour.

Keep it HOT for about 1 hour. (180 - 200 degrees F)

Let cool overnight.

ALTERNATIVE: begin with hot tap water. "MORDANT" in a plastic bucket and let it soak 3 to 5

days. (Lower temperature = more time). Silk is ready after soaking overnight. Tin, chrome and

copper need to be heated to mordant well. Iron can be done cold.

MEANWHILE, extract the dye:

in plenty of water, (enough to loosely cover by several extra inches,) BOIL UP YOUR

CHOSEN DYESTUFF:

FLOWERS - boil 20 minutes; strain off the water to make the dyebath.

BARKS, ROOTS, DYEWOODS - soak overnight, boil 1/2 hour, pour off and save the

extract (this is the dye solution), add more water and boil again. Do this boiling and

saving three times to make the dyebath. -or more times, as long as dye continues to

extract.

COCHINEAL - if ground, boil 20 minutes; if whole, proceed as for barks.

Step 2: Dyeing

Add enough additional water to the dye solution so the textile can move freely in the

dyebath.

Add the textile and heat to hot. Heat 1 hour or until the colour is the desired depth.

Remember, the colour will lighten after it is rinsed and dried.

If the colour is too light, use more dyestuff. (But do not use more mordant.)

Now is the time to modify the colour, if desired, with the additional mordant of iron. (See

directions, below.)

Cool the textile, rinse and dry. Handle the fibre according to its form:

o Fibre should be gently swooshed in several changes of water, squeezed out andremoved from its mesh bag only after it is partly dry. Then pull it gently to smooth and

groom the roving.

o Yarn should be rinsed with an up and down motion to help remove tangles and smooth

it. Wring thoroughly. Shake out and twist it while drying, to soften.

o Fabric can be run thru a wash cycle, without soap, in a machine; then tumbled dry to

soften.


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Step 3: Adjusting the Colour

IRON "AFTER-MORDANT" TO MODIFY colours:

Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of ferrous sulphate per pound textile. Add to the dyebath, or fill a

bucket with warm water, add the iron and transfer the textile to this "after mordant" bath.

This is an important technique to know, for iron will turn golds to moss greens, reds to plum and

maroon colours, and will darken browns. Many leaves and plants will make grey with iron as the

only mordant needed.

Always remember: have fun and treasure the unique.

Article: Dyeing with Indigo: The Natural Fermentation Vat


12/19

Cheryls Natural FermentationIndigo Dye Kitmakes it all easy.

Buy IndigoNatural Dye, certified quality.

Many Indigo dyed products available:fabric,yarn & needlework threads ,sport top,cotton outfit.

Click to Enlarge

Indigo is a dye different than any other. It is dyed through a living fermentation process that

does not require any mordant.

The process "reduces" the Indigo, changing it from blue to yellow. In this state, it dissolves in an

alkaline solution. The fibre is worked in the solution, or "vat." When brought out to the air, it is a

bright green. Slowly the air changes it to the beautiful deep and rich blue of Indigo.

Indigo in some form is used in all traditional cultures, for it is the only clear and fast natural

blue. Indigo dyeing was one of the first speciality professions. Yet it is easy to keep a home pot

going, and most colonial homesteads had one. This recipe is the one most commonly used for

home dyeing. It contains no harsh chemicals nor toxic metals. It can be used to dye any natural

fibre.

An additional beauty of dark Indigo is that when ironed or pounded, the blue cloth takes on a

beautiful coppery sheen - the same sheen that is seen on the well reduced Indigo vat, when it is

ready for dyeing.

The Natural Vermentation Vat

NOTE: This process requires advance preparation of about one week. The amounts are weight

ounces, not volume ounces. Below is what the indigo vat should look like at the end, when it is

ready to use.
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4 oz. groundIndigo

2 oz. groundMadder

2 oz. wheat bran (buy at any health food store)

12 oz.washing soda("soda ash")

Combine these ingredients in about a three gallon pot of warm water. Always add these amounts

in proportion. A larger vat can be made, for example with: 1 lb. ground indigo, 1/2 lb ground

madder, 1/2 lb ground bran and 3 lbs washing soda in about a 10 gallon plastic tub. However, I

advise starting small, till you are comfortable with the process. The size of the pot is determined

by the amount of fobre you need to dye at one time. A three gallon pot is good for yarn skeins of

4 to 6 oz., while a 10 gallon or larger tub will be needed for yards of fabric.

WARMTH: It is necessary to keep the vat warm, but not hot, around 100 - 110 Fahrenheit. It

is the same temperature for raising bread or making yogurt. It should feel pleasantly warm to

the hand.

To keep it warm, a light bulb in a reflector can be put under the vat, with a blanket over it to

keep in the heat. (See illustration, next page.) In a warm climate no additional heat is needed,

but be sure the vat is out of direct sun so it does not overheat.

TIME is very important. It takes time for the vat to ferment and it does no good to try to rush

the process. The first time, it takes about a week for the vat to ferment and be ready to dye.

With "renewals" the time needed is a bit less, four or five days.

It takes time to do the dyeing. The fibre is "dipped" several times to build up a dark colour, with

airing between each dip.

The vat itself lasts a long time. I have had my current vat over fifteen years. In traditional

cultures there are vats over 100 years old. The vat is "renewed" with more Indigo and the other

ingredients in proportion, whenever the dye value weakens. Then let sit a few days to re-

ferment. Indigo dyeing by this natural fermentation method is a slow-steady process. It is good

meditation.

Stir the vat once a day. The idea is to integrate the undissolved Indigo, madder and bran that

settles to the bottom, back into solution. And to do this without incorporating air into the vat. So

stir gently.

Keep the vat covered. Air is the enemy of a good Indigo vat. The level of liquid in the pot should

just allow room for the yarn dyeing, without spilling. The less air between surface and lid the

better. I use a domed lid, turned upside down. If you leave more than 2" of air at the top of the

vat, it will not reduce properly.

The vat is ready for dyeing when:

It develops a coppery film on the top of the vat.

The liquid, lifted carefully in a glass jar, will appear green.
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A test piece of fibre or paper will emerge green and turn blue in the air.

Now is the exciting time to begin Indigo dyeing!

1. Wet your fibre out very well in warm water. It must be well wet out. Any air remaining in

the fibre will oxidize Indigo in the vat, and this must be avoided.

2. Put on rubber gloves! You don't want to scare people with blue hands; also the stronglyalkaline vat may irritate your skin.

3. Enter the fibre (yarn/fabric) into the vat very carefully, to avoid adding any air to the

vat. Now the fibre must be "worked" in the vat, under the surface. It should not be

stirred, but with your gloved hands, gently, slowly and deliberately squeeze the liquid

through the fibre while you hold it under the surface. Any time you break the surface you

introduce air into the vat and this you do not want to do.

4. After you have worked it several minutes, carefully and slowly raise it out of the vat,

squeezing the excess Indigo solution back into the vat. Do this squeezing as close to the

surface as you can, as dropping liquid will bring air into the vat.

5. The fibre should be a bright clear green. It will start to turn blue in the air immediately.Lay it out on newspaper and let it air for 20 minutes. Repeat the dips up to five times for

dark Indigo Blue. Air between each dip. For lighter shades, fewer dips are needed.

6. Rinse well. Then leave the fibre to air overnight. Soak and do a final rinse in the

morning.

The vat lasts indefinitely. It is begun with a certain amount of Indigo, and all other ingredients

as given, in proportion. Dyeing is begun, with the darkest colour dyed first, then medium, then

lights. Between dyeings the vat must rest overnight or an extra day. This is because, during

dyeing a certain amount of the Indigo is oxidized in the vat. Allowing it to rest lets it re-reduce

that Indigo. An oxidized (blue coloured) vat won't dye well. The Indigo colour will only wash out

and rub off too quickly.

When the vat is "exhausted", and will only dye light shades, it is time to renew it. All ingredients

are again added, again in correct proportion. The vat is let to ferment for several days, and is

ready to dye when it shows the proper signs. In this way a vat can be kept going for many

years.

If one wishes to rest from dyeing for several weeks, simply turn off the heat source, and keep

the vat cool for that period. Stir it vigorously on occasion. When ready to dye again, warm it up,

renew it with the ingredients, and proceed as before.

It is not good to leave a vat unused for too long, as it is a living process and may then get

cranky about starting up again. Also it is important to exhaust the vat before leaving it, or it

may over-ferment and ruin any Indigo remaining in it.

Over time a deposit of sludge will develop at the bottom of the vat. You may want to gently

lower a screen into the vat before dyeing, to keep your fibre from pickinging itup during the dye

process. Be sure to remove the screen after the day's dyeing, so you can stir the vat before

closing it.


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For greens, dye you fibre Indigo first, then rinse well and overdye with alum mordant and your

chosen yellow dye. For purples, dye the Indigo first, rinse well, then mordant and dye over with

any red dye.

The indigo vat is very alkaline. It is important to rinse out all the alkalinity. Just to be on the

safe side, I always double rinse my indigo dyed textiles. First I rinse well just after dyeing, then

I let air overnight. Next day I soak in two successive waters for about an hour each time, rinse

again, wring and dry.

Squeeze solution through yarn for best penetration. Always work under the surface of the vat.

Always wear rubber gloves.

More About Indigo

Indigofera is a legume. The plant looks similar to alfalfa, but is usually larger. It is an excellent

rotational crop for increasing soil fertility. In southern Mexico, where some of the current Indigo

of commerce originates, it is naturalized and grows in fallow fields, so no effort is spent

cultivating it.

Indigo dye must be prepared from the fresh plant in an exacting and elaborate process that

takes about a month. The Indigo plants are harvested and brought to a central location. They

are soaked in water and allowed to ferment. This separates the dyestuff from the plant. The

solution is then beaten to oxidize and precipitate the Indigo. Excess water is poured off and the

sludge is dried. This sludge, packed into balls or patties and fully dried, is the Indigo dye of

commerce.

This Indigo comes to us in the form of a hard, dark blue coloured cake. It must be ground to be

used for dyeing. Very small amounts can be ground in a mortar and pestle. Use a bit of water to

facilitate grinding and keep down the dust. A Corona Corn mill is what I use. Meat grinders also

work. A zip-loc baggie cinched over the grinding plates catches all the powder and keeps blue

dust from getting everywhere.

In most traditional cultures, the colour(s) of ones clothing indicates ones status or class. Indigo

blue has long been associated with the less than aristocratic classes. Indigo blue has still the

association of "The Working Class". We use the distinction as "Blue Collar Workers" and "Blue

Jeans". These clothes were originally dyed with indigo. In the past, Indigo has been a prolific

dyestuff. It is relatively easy to grow and dye, and is quite fast. It withstands well the many

washings that work clothes require.

In most cultures, Indigo dyeing is or was a specialty. The dye process is unique, and the

facilities require a stable set-up. Vats made of great clay pots set in the ground are commonly

used in warmer climates. If more heat is needed, pits for burning charcoal are placed between

clusters of the vats.

Indigo dyeing is practiced today in Japan, Southern China, Tibet, India, Indonesia, Indo China,

Africa, especially Nigeria, Southern Mexico and Guatemala, and it has recently been reintroduced


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to Turkey. Traditional fermentation methods are used. However, many of these cultures now use

synthetic Indigo, manufactured from coal tar or petroleum.

Natural Indigo contains several related dye chemicals that give different shades of blue. As much

as twenty percent of the dye may be a violet tone called Indigo Red. These complexities give

Natural Indigo nuances and depths that cannot be achieved with the synthetic substitute.

An additional beauty of dark Indigo Blue, is that when ironed or pounded, cloth so dyed takes a

coppery sheen - the same sheen we see on the top of the well-reduced Indigo vat.


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Tutorial: How to Work With Fabric Paint Dyes

Fabric Paint Dyes

Aurora Silk's liquid extracts make it easier than ever to dye your own clothes, fibre, and yarn with

natural dyes. It's so easy to use, and the colours are so beautiful, it's like magic!

Instructions:

Yellow (Fustic) and Rose (Cochineal) Paint DyesStep 1: Soak the fabric (fibre or yarn) in mordant

Soak the fabric (fibre or yarn) for about 12 hours in a solution of warm water and mordant. Hot

water from the tap is fine.

Use 25% alum or 3% tin (Stannous Chloride) by weight of fabric. So, if you are dyeing 1 lb of

fabric (fibre or yarn), use 4 oz of alum or 1/2 oz of tin. You can find alum and cream of tartar in

your baking section at the supermarket (alum is used for pickling , cream of tartar for baking),

or on ourmordants page.

Always wear rubber gloves when handling your fabric (fibre or yarn) during mordanting, so

nothing is absorbed through your skin. Make sure kids and pets don't accidently drink the

solution (it's pretty nasty so normally they wouldn't).

Step 2: Dry the fabric (fibre or yarn)

Thoroughly dry the fabric (fibre or yarn) so the paint dye won't run when you apply it. For the

cleanest lines, apply gutta-resist (this is a starch resist that is available at art supply stores).

Step 3: Mix paint for different colours, if desired

These paint dyes can be combined with each other or with other substances to produce different

colours.

Colour Paint Dye to Use Fastness to

Washing

Fastness

to Light

Yellow Yellow (fustic) Good Excellent

Moss green

shadings

Yellow (fustic) mixed with a tiny amount of

iron (ferrous sulphate) in a separate

container. Or, brush a wash of iron desolved

in water over the yellow.

Excellent Excellent

Bright greens Combine yellow (fustic) with indigo crystals

(blue). Be sure to mix in a separate container

and make only as much as you will need.

Indigo needs to be used within an hour or it

will oxidize and no longer dye. See the
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directions forIndigo Crystals. (Please note:

Indigo Crystals are no longer being

manufactured.)

Rose Rose (chochineal) Good Excellent

Plum shadings Rose (chochineal) mixed with a tiny amountof iron (ferrous sulphate) in a separate

container. Or, brush a wash of iron desolved

in water over the rose.

Excellent Excellent

Orange-Rose Rose (chochineal) mixed with an acid such as

citric acid crystals or vinegar.

Violet-Rose Rose (chochineal) mixed with a clear non-

sudzing household ammonia.

Orange Yellow and rose. Mix the dyes together in aseparate container, or layer them by painting

on one colour and then the other.

Experiment! Dyes can be mixed or layered. For lighter

shades dilute with distilled or filtered water.

Just remember, if you combine the dyes with

the Indigo crystals, make sure you use it

within an hour or the dye will oxidize and no

longer work.

Step 4: Paint!

Shake or stir the bottle of dye before using. Brush the dye directly on your fabric, as with any

watercolour paint. Use a large brush to cover large areas and fine brushes for details. The dye is

concentrated enough that one jar will paint many yards of silk. Cotton and hemp will only take

soft colours and will use much more dye.

Stencilling is another technique - cut stencils from heavy waxed paper or thin plastic sheets and

"stipple" the dye through the open spaces with a stiff thick brush.

To tie dye, after mordanting, fold or squish or stitch up the fabric and either paint on the dye in

places or fill a shallow pan with dye and lay in the fabric.

Step 5: Dry

When you are done, dry your painted fabric in the shade.

Step 6: Rinse

If you plan to make a garment to wear you should wash the excess dye out of the fabric first. If

you are making wall-art, no rinsing is necessary.
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Painting on Paper

Another wonderful thing about these dyes is that you can use them as natural watercolour

paints. Just brush a solution of water mixed with alum mordant on the paper. Let it dry if you

want clean lines. Then paint!

The mordant solution is the same - 25% by weight of paper, with just enough water to dissolve

the alum (give it a half hour to dissolve if it isn't powdered). You may need to brush it on and

dry it several times to get enough alum on the paper if it's thick, or just once if the paper is thin.

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