Natural Plant Dyes Logbook · Christine J. Dalziel / Joybilee Farm Media Box 667 Greenwood, BC, V0H...

3

Natural

Plant

Dyes

Logbook

Chris J. Dalziel

J O Y B I L E E F A R M M E D I A G r e e n w o o d , B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a

4 | CHRIS J . DAL ZIEL

Copyright © 2020 by Christine J. Dalziel. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to make a single personal use copy of this work. Other than that, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or me-chanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publish-er, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below. Christine J. Dalziel / Joybilee Farm Media Box 667 Greenwood, BC, V0H 1J0 JoybileeFarm.com Ordering Information: Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the address above. Disclaimer: Nothing in this ebook is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any dis-ease. All information is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.

Natural Plant Dyes Logbook

Christine J. Dalziel. —1st ed.

Natural Dye L og Book | 5

Contents

How to Scour Fiber for Dyeing: .............................................. 7

Color Time and Temperature Quick Guide: ........................... 8

Steps for Eco printing on Natural Fibers ................................. 9

Mordanting Steps: ................................................................. 10

Mordant Quick Guides .......................................................... 11

Mordant Types, Sources, and Percentages ............................ 13

Natural Indigo Dye Vat ......................................................... 14

Natural Dye Shopping List: .................................................. 17

Natural Dye Project Notes .................................................... 18

Natural Dye Project Log ....................................................... 19

Eco Print Dye Project Notes ................................................. 20

Eco Print Dye Log ................................................................. 21

Natural Indigo Vat Log ......................................................... 22

Indigo Dye Project Notes ...................................................... 23

Natural Dye Log .................................................................... 24

Natural Dye Observations ..................................................... 25

6 | CHRIS J . DAL ZIEL

Dye Results: .......................................................................... 26

Supply Source ....................................................................... 27

Fabric suitable for natural dye: Wool, linen, silk, cotton, or

any garment that is at least 95% cotton, linen, silk, or wool.


How to Scour Fiber for Dyeing:

Scouring removes dirt, oils, grease, and any other contaminate that might impact how the dye fixes to the fabric. Scouring techniques are different for wool or silk, and for cotton or linen. You will also want to use a slightly more aggressive technique for reclaimed fabrics, like from a thrift store as opposed to brand new dye blanks.

How to Scour Wool – Fabric or Yarn

Fill a sink or container with hot water, at least 140F, and add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Immerse the wool in the water, and whisk around gently for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly in SAME TEMPERATURE water, until no soap residue remains.

How to Scour Cot-ton and Linen.

Fill a container with hot water, add 1 tablespoon washing soda, and 1 tablespoon dish soap. Soak for 5-10 minutes, and scrub around in the solution. If using reclaimed cotton or linen, ag-gressively scrub any area that looks stained, oily, or otherwise not fully clean. Rinse thoroughly until no soap residue remains.

How to Scour Silk Fill container with warm to hot water, add dish soap. Soak silk for at least 5 minutes, and swish around. If a heavy silk fabric, like silk noil, soak for longer. Rinse thoroughly.

Reclaimed Fabrics - Wool

Fill a sink or container with hot water, at least 140F, and add 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Immerse the wool in the water, and whisk around gently for 5-15 minutes. Scrub any areas that seem to be stained, discolored, or oily. Rinse thoroughly in SAME TEMPERATURE water, until no soap residue remains.

8

Color Time and Temperature Quick Guide:

Color Fiber Temperature Heat Time Soak Time Reds (Madder, Cochi-neal)

Wool, linen, cotton, silk

35 – 45 C 95-115 F

Steep dye material at least 30 minutes before adding fiber.

1 hour, holding tempera-

ture Yellow Wool, Silk 82 C

180 F

Steep dye material 15 minutes before adding fiber.

Woody material needs longer. 1 hour, holding tempera-

ture Yellow Cotton, Linen 82 C

180 F

Steep dye material 15-30 minutes before adding

fiber. 1.5 hours, holding temper-

ature

Brown (walnut, tan-

nins)

Wool, Silk 82 C

180 F

Heat dye material and steep overnight. 1 hour, at temperature, let

cool.

Brown (walnut, tan-

nins)

Cotton, linen 82 C

180 F

Heat dye material and steep overnight. Tannin mordant – 45

minutes

Dark browns or with iron

for black – 60 to 90

minutes Blue Cotton, wool, silk,

linen

100F Vat dye, Do not heat

See special instructions.

Dip for 15 minutes. Oxygenate for 15 min.

Repeat until desired shade is obtained.

Green Cotton, Linen, wool,

silk

Green can be obtained in two ways.

1) By dyeing with a yellow plant dye, then after dipping in a copper mordant solution. This shifts the yellow to green.

2) By dyeing with a yellow plant dye then after dipping in a weak indigo dye vat. Always dye with a

yellow plant dye first then after dip in indigo for green shades. Otherwise the indigo color can be too

strong to allow the yellow dye to show on the fabric.


Steps for Eco printing on Natural Fibers

1. Scour and mordant fabric or dye blanks

2. Gather leaves and flowers from nature

3. Lay out leaves and flower on wetted dye blank or fabric in a pleasing design.

4. Roll and bundle tightly to keep plant matter from shifting

5. Simmer or steam 2 to 3 hours. Allow to cool naturally.

6. Unbundle when cool. Remove spent plant matter.

7. Rinse in warm water. Add a dollop of vinegar to restore pH to protein fibers.

8. Hang to dry. Press when damp with a warm iron.

Protein Fiber vs. Plant Fiber – Protein fiber is any fiber or fabric that originates from an ani-

mal including an insect. Wool, silk, mohair, angora, alpaca, llama, vicuna, are all protein fi-

bers. Protein fibers are naturally acidic and need to be returned to this acidic state after

dyeing. Usually a dollop of vinegar is added to the rinse water to restore the pH of protein fi-

bers. Plant fibers include short fibers like cotton, ramie, and nettle, as well as bast fibers like

linen and hemp. These fibers do best in a neutral or alkaline environment. They can be dam-

aged by long term acidity. Use baking soda or washing soda to restore pH after dyeing with

cotton, linen, or other plant fibers.

10

Mordanting Steps:

Protein Fibers:

Weigh fabric or yarn dry, note weight. Prepare fabric for dyeing by washing with regular dish or laundry soap. Use 15% ‘weight of fiber’ alum dissolved in a pot of warm water. Add 6% Cream of tartar Immerse fabric in the alum water in a clean, nonreactive pot

Plant Fiber (alum acetate) Weigh the fiber dry, then scour. Dissolve 20% WOF Alum in hot water. Add to dye pot. Add enough cold water to this that will cover your fabrics. Dissolve the 10% WOF Soda Ash completely in a bit of warm water and add to mordant vat. Add the 1 tablespoon white vinegar per each 100 grams dry fabric to the mordant vat. (There will be some foaming.) Add pre-wetted plant fibers or fabric to the mordant vat.

Slowly bring the water temperature up to 190F, (180F for silk) over 45 minutes. Turn down heat. Hold this temperature for 1 hour for protein fibers, 1 ½ hours for plant fibers, gently turning the fabric in the dye kettle. Turn off heat. Let the dye bath return to room temperature. Remove the fiber from the mordant bath, squeeze out over excess water. Allow to hang evenly over a non-reactive rod until it stops dripping. Rotate the yarn or fabric frequently so the alum is evenly distributed. Store the yarn or cloth in a damp white cloth for up to 24-48 hours. Keep it damp during this entire period if proceeding to dyeing. If you are going to store the fiber longer, then it needs to dry com-pletely and then be stored in a dark place.

Remember always thoroughly scrub a pot that has been used to iron mordant or it will sadden the next dye bath. Cellulose fibers can be fully dried and stored before dyeing. Fibers do not need to be remordanted between dyes. Once a fiber has been

mordanted it can be dyed and then over dyed without further mordanting.

11

Mordant Quick Guides

Alum (Protein Fibers)

Weigh fabric or yarn dry, note weight.

Prepare fabric for dyeing by washing with

regular dish or laundry soap.

Use 15% ‘weight of fiber’ alum dissolved in a

pot of warm water.

Add 6% ‘weight of fiber’ Cream of tartar

Immerse fabric in the alum water in a clean,

nonreactive pot

Heat to 190F (180F for silk), over 30 minutes.

Hold temperature for 1 hour.

Let cool naturally, dye fiber immediately or

dry and store in a dark place for later dyeing.

Alum Acetate (plant fibers)

Weigh the plant fiber dry, then scour.

Dissolve 20% ‘weight of fiber’ Alum in hot water.

Add to dye pot.

Add enough cold water to this that will cover your fabrics.

Dissolve the 10% ‘weight of fiber’ Soda Ash completely

in a bit of warm water and add to mordant vat.

Add the 1 tablespoon white vinegar per each 100 grams

dry fabric to the mordant vat. (There will be some foam-

ing.)

Add pre-wetted plant fibers or fabric to the mordant vat.

Heat to 190-200F over 30 minutes, hold temperature for

90 minutes.

Let cool naturally, dye immediately or dry and store for

later.

12 | CHRIS J . D ALZIEL

Iron

Measure iron at 2% WOF.

Dissolve in hot water.

Add to mordanting kettle. Fill the kettle with

enough water to fully cover the fiber when

added.

Add wet, mordanted fiber Heat to 160F (70C)

hold for 30 minutes.

Let cool and rinse well.

Alum and Tannin

Always mordant with tannin first. Use specific ‘weight of

fiber’ for tannin you are using (10-15%).

Mix powdered tannin source into warm water. Add tannin

water to dye vat. Fill the kettle with enough water to fully

cover the fiber when added.

Add scoured, wet fiber. Heat to 87 -93ºC (190 -200ºF)

hold for 45 minutes, gently turning the fiber regularly.

At this point the fiber may be rinsed and mordanted with

alum, or left to steep for 8-24 hours before rinsing (steep-

ing will give deeper colors).

Prepare a clean mordant vat with 20% weight of fiber al-

um. Add tannin mordanted fibers, and slowly bring to

190F over half an hour, hold at that temperature for 1 ½

hours. Let the mordant vat cool naturally.

You can now proceed with dyeing, or dry the fabric and

store in a dark place for later dyeing.

13

Mordant Types, Sources, and Percentages

Tannins Note: WOF = weight of dry fiber

•Myrobolan (Terminalia chebula) - the dried nuts are used at15% WOF •Shelled acorns •Sumac leaves or bark •Oak galls at 10% WOF •Pomegranate rinds at 15% WOF

Alum

15% WOF alum 6% WOF Cream of Tartar

Alum and Iron

10% WOF Alum 1% WOF Iron Sulfate (to sadden col-or)

Iron 1 to 2% WOF Iron Sulfate

Alum Acetate

20% WOF Alum 10% WOF Soda Ash 1 teaspoon per 100 grams WOF white vinegar

Substantive Dyes (Dyes that are colorfast without mordant-ing)

Turmeric

Cochineal

Alder

Buckthorn

Lac

Rhubarb roots

Black Walnut Hulls

Cutch

Pomegranate

Henna

Myrobolan

Indigo (vat dye)


Natural Indigo Dye Vat

Dyeing with natural indigo requires some special techniques. Indigo is a vat dye. The dye must be reduced in the vat in order for the dye to take on the cloth. When the dye is reduced in the vat, the will appear green and there will be a coppery sheen on the surface of the dye vat. There may be dark blue indigo floating on the surface of the vat, where the vat meets oxygen. When you see this the vat is ready to dye with. There are many ways through history that people have tried to reduce indigo dye so that it will adhere to cloth. Here are just two of the easi-er vats to try at home that don’t use toxic chemicals.

Indigo Dyeing - The Iron Vat

Review the instructions for indigo vats. Don’t forget to scour your cloth or

yarn before dyeing. The iron vat reduces indigo using 1:2:3 ratio of indigo

to iron to calcium hydroxide. This is a traditional dye vat used in many cul-

tures and gives a strong navy blue color. These instructions were adapted

from the tutorial on the Maiwa blog using the recipes developed by Michel

Garcia for Maiwa.

This vat has a high alkalinity and is best for cotton and linen fibers.

For a vat of about 1 gallon

10 g ( 1 tablespoons) Natural indigo

20 g (2 tablespoons) ferrous sulphate

30 g (3 tablespoons) Calcium hydroxide (Hydrated Lime, Calx)

This is a cold vat that is great for cellulose and some silks; however, it is not recommended for wool because of the iron. The Iron Vat gives a beautiful dark indigo and has the advantage of being a cold vat that keeps for months. It is good for cloth that has been printed with resist as it does not require long dips. It is a vat with a long history in many cultures. Fill a dye pot with hot water that is almost boiling. Add the indigo to the vat, then the ferrous sulphate, then the lime. Stir just enough to mix in the powder. Wait for the vat to turn yellowy-green. Lower down in the vat the liquid will be amber coloured. Look for the bronze sur-face and the dark bubbles that indicate that the vat is reduced and ready to dye.


Dip wetted and prepared fabric or yarn using short dips 15 minutes in the vat and 15 minutes to oxidize. Repeat until the desired shade is reached. Use a basket to hold the fabric and prevent it from sitting on the bot-tom of the vat. The residual iron in the vat can stain the cloth leaving dark blotches. Keep the vat covered when not in use. When the indigo in the vat is used up, use a whisk to whip air into the vat to precipitate the lime/calcium in the vat. The content may then be safely poured into the compost.

The Fruit Vat

This is a good indigo vat to use when your garden fruit is ripe and you have

some that isn’t fit for consumption. Use fallen fruit, the waste from jam mak-

ing, or peels and skins removed from juicing. The fruit vat or fructose vat was

developed by Michel Garcia for Maiwa.

Review the instructions for indigo vats. Don’t forget to scour your cloth

or yarn before dyeing.

For a vat of about 10 litres

40 g (1.5 oz) powdered natural indigo

1 kg (2.2 pounds) sweet, over-ripe fruit, such as pears, grapes, peaches, cherries, bananas, dates, figs (remove pits)

30 g (1 oz) calcium hydroxide (hydrated lime, calx) In a saucepan, mash the fruit well, cover with a generous amount of water and boil for 30 minutes. Fill a 2.5 gallon (10 litre) stainless steel pot 3/4 full with hot water. Filter the juice from the boiled fruit and add to the water in the vat. Keep the mash and cover with water. You may need to reheat this later to use to adjust or revive the vat. Add the indigo to the vat. Sprinkle on the surface of the vat and stir in until well mixed. Add the calcium hydroxide. Sprinkle on the surface of the vat and stir the vat gently. Do not whip it. You do not want air in the liquid. Wait for a few minutes. Then stir again. Repeat this stirring three or four times. Heat until the liquid reaches 120°F (50° C). Do not overheat. You may then turn off the heat. Leave the vat covered overnight. The next day the vat will have a bronzy surface and a dark blue indigo flower on the


surface of the water. The interior of the vat will be a clear yellow green. It is now ready to dye. Pre-wet your fabric. Dip into the indigo vat for 15 minutes. Oxidize for 15 minutes. Repeat this dipping and oxidizing until desired shade is reached. Color will lighten when the fabric is dry. When the indigo in the vat is used up, use a whisk to whip air into the vat to precipitate the lime/calcium in the vat. The content may then be safely poured into the compost.

Fruit suitable for the fruit vat: Sweet fruits with lit-

tle acidity are best including pears, peaches, apri-

cots, dates, figs, raisins, grapes, kiwi, plums, sweet

cherries, nectarines, bananas, mangoes, papaya.

Seeds should be removed because the excess tan-

nins may sadden the dye. Avoid citrus fruit and ap-

ples. These do not perform well in a fruit based

indigo vat.

17

Natural Dye Shopping List:

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

18

Natural Dye Project Notes

Fabric:

___________________________________________________

WOF:

___________________________________________________

Mordant:

________________________________________________

Plants used:

_______________________________________________

Time in steam bath:

________________________________________________________

Results:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________


Natural Dye Project Log

Date: ______

Dye Constituent:

Plant Used:

o Fresh o Dried o Pow-

der o Direct

Dye

Technique: o Water Bath o Direct Dye o Other

Fiber Type: Protein___ Plant____

Mordant Calculation:

Weight of fiber: Mordant Type:

o Alum o Alum and Iron o Alum and Tannin o Alum Acetate

Iron (1-2%) ______

Alum Acetate 20% alum __________ 10% soda ash ___________ 1tsp vinegar per 100g ____

Tannin (10-15%) _______ Type of Tan-nin:

Notes:

Alum (15%) ____ Cream of Tartar (6%) ____

Use of Iron Blanket

o Yes o No

Vat Tempera-ture:

Vat Duration:

Over-dye o Yes o No

Observations:

Samples:


Eco Print Dye Project Notes

Fabric:

___________________________________________________

WOF:

___________________________________________________

Mordant:

________________________________________________

Plants used:

_______________________________________________

Time in steam bath:

________________________________________________________

Results:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________


Eco Print Dye Log

Date: ______

Dye Constituent:

Plant Used:

o Fresh o Dried o Pow-

der o Direct

Dye






Iron (1-2%) ______


Tannin (10-15%) _______ Type of Tan-nin:

Notes:


Use of Iron Blanket

o Yes o No

Vat Tempera-ture:

Vat Duration:

Over-dye o Yes o No

Observations:

Samples:


Natural Indigo Vat Log

Date: ______

Plant Used: Fresh Dried Powder Direct Dye

Indigo Vat Dye Recipe:



Weight of fiber: Mordant Type: Alum Alum and Iron Alum and Tannin Alum Acetate None

Iron (1-2%) ______

Tannin (10-15%) _______

Notes:


Use of Iron Blanket Yes No

Vat Temp.

Vat Duration:

Over-dye Yes No

Plant used for Overdye:

Samples:


Indigo Dye Project Notes

Fabric:

_______________________________________________________

WOF:

________________________________________________________

Type of Indigo Vat:

________________________________________________________

Natural Indigo Source:

_______________________________________________________

Time in Vat/ Number of dips:

___________________________________

Special Fabric Treatment:

________________________________________________________

Results:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________


Natural Dye Log

Date: ______

Dye Constituent:

Plant Used:

o Fresh o Dried o Powder o Direct

Dye






Iron (1-2%) ______


Tannin (10-15%) _______ Type of Tannin:

Notes:


Use of Iron Blanket

o Yes o No

Vat Tempera-ture:

Vat Duration:

Over-dye o Yes o No

Observations:

Samples:


Natural Dye Observations

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________


Dye Results:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________


Supply Source

Canada

Maiwa Supply – natural dyes, mordants, dye blanks, surface design materials, books. Prices in Canadian $

https://maiwa.com/collections/natural-dyes Natural Dye Tutorials Indigo Dye Tutorials

USA

Botanical Colors – natural dyes, mordants, natural dye inks, natural dye extracts, dye plant seeds,

https://botanicalcolors.com

Dharma Trading – natural dyes, mordants, dye blanks

https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/natural-dyes.html

Australia

Kraft Kolour – natural dyes, mordants, dye blanks, surface design supplies

https://www.kraftkolour.net.au/dyes/natural-dyes-en.html

UK

George Weil – natural dyes, mordants, fabric, books, surface design supplies

https://www.georgeweil.com/crafts/dyeing/natural-dyes

Israel

Suzanne Dekkel – natural dyes, Ecoprint supplies, mordants, dye blanks, fabric, eco-print tutorials.

https://www.suzannedekel.com/blog-1/categories/natural-dyes

https://maiwa.com/collections/natural-dyes

https://naturaldyes.ca/instructions

https://naturaldyes.ca/indigo

https://botanicalcolors.com/

https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/natural-dyes.html

https://www.kraftkolour.net.au/dyes/natural-dyes-en.html

https://www.georgeweil.com/crafts/dyeing/natural-dyes

https://www.suzannedekel.com/blog-1/categories/natural-dyes


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris helps natural moms create a homegrown lifestyle so they can

shift away from the corporate health paradigm and create health and

wellness for their families naturally. She is a teacher, author, gardener,

and herbalist with 35+ years’ of growing herbs and formulating herbal

remedies, skin care products, soaps, and candles. Chris is also an

award winning fiber artist who raised her own medium for decades

including linen fiber, natural dye plants, and wool.

Chris is the founder of the DIY Herbal Fellowship, the Joybilee Farm

blog, and an instructor at Joybilee Academy. Chris believes in giving

her readers a quick win because each quick win builds confidence and

empowers intuition for self-reliance and natural health.

Chris is the author of the The Beginner’s Book of Essential Oils,

Learning to Use Your First 10 Essential Oils with Confidence (2015)

and Homegrown Healing, from Seed to Apothecary (2016), and The

Beeswax Workshop, How to Make Your Own Natural Candles, Cos-

metics, Cleaners, Soaps, Healing Balms and More (2017)

https://thediyherbal.com/join-us/

https://joybilee-academy.thinkific.com/

Natural Plant Dyes Logbook · Christine J. Dalziel / Joybilee Farm Media Box 667 Greenwood, BC, V0H...

Documents

Transcript of Natural Plant Dyes Logbook · Christine J. Dalziel / Joybilee Farm Media Box 667 Greenwood, BC, V0H...