Natural Dye and Mordant Instructions
The colorful world of natural dye extracts, together with the mordants and dye assists which enable them to attain satisfactory levels of lightfastness, washfastness and colorfastness are now available to you.
The following dye instruction pages provide guidance in many categories:
- The name of the dye
- Its Latin name
- The general description of the color range available for the dye
- Notes specific to use of the dye and the average strike rate (the time it takes for fiber to take up the dye) for each dye
The DyeWorks is constantly researching, upgrading and sharing test results. Please share with us any information that will help improve our website.
Choose and learn about as many dyes as you wish. We hope you will explore, experience and enjoy The DyeWorks' natural dyes. Let us know how we may serve your artistic quest.
General Dye Instructions
| Immersion
Dyeing |
Easy,
step-by-step instructions for general natural dyeing by immersion
method. |
| Earth
Oxides |
Instructions
for using the many colors of Earth Oxides |
Mordants, etc.
| Glaubers Salts | dry crystals : 3 lbs. | Color pusher: dye leveler |
| Gum Tragacanth | dry powder : 1 oz. | Surface Design Thickener |
| Iron | dry crystals | Color changer |
| Potassium Alum | dry crystal : 5 lbs. | Pre-treatment mordant |
| Soda Ash | dry powder | Washing Soda |
| Soy Milk Kit | Soybeans (3#) muslin: 1/4 measuring cup: recipe | Make soymilk for earth oxides/indigo. Fabric sizing. |
| Tannin | dry extract | Color: Light brown (also mordant) |
| Tartaric Acid | dry crystal | Color enhancer (also discharge) |
| Thiourea Dioxide | dry crystals | Reducing agent for indigo (also discharge) |
Natural Dyes
Percentage of Dye to WOG |
|||
| Brazilwood | 6% |
dry extract | Color: Hot earthy red to brick |
5% |
Dry extract mixture |
Color: Turquoise |
|
| Chestnut | 6% |
dry extract | Color: Light brown (also Mordant) |
| Cochineal | 1% |
dry extract | Color: Red to Fuchsia. |
| Cochineal | 1% |
whole bugs | Color: Red to Fuchsia |
| Cutch | 6% |
dry extract | Color: Warm red-brown |
| Fustic | 2% |
liquid extract | Color: Old world yellow (red base) |
| Gall Nuts | 5% |
dry extract | Color: Dusty gold |
| Henna | 8% |
powder | Color: Fresh Spring Green |
| Himalayan Rhubarb | 6-8% |
dry extract | Color: Olive Gold |
| Indigo | |
dry extract | Color: Deepest blues |
| Kamala | 3% (add washing soda to dissolve) |
dry extract | Color: Hot jungle yellow |
| Lac | 4% |
dry extract | Color: Dusty rose to Merlot |
| Logwood Purple | 1.25% -2 % |
dry extract | Color: Royal purple |
| Madder | 10% (do not boil) |
dry extract (rubia cardifolia) | Color: Orange-red |
| Madder |
8% (do not boil) |
liquid
extract (rubia tinctoria) |
Color:
Turkey Red |
| Myrobalan | 5% |
dry extract | Color: Light aged yellow (also mordant) |
| Osage Orange | 2% |
dry extract | Color: Orange yellows to gold |
| Persian
Berries |
1% |
liquid
extract |
Color: Lemon yellow |
| Pomegranate | 4% |
dry extract | Deep greened gold. |
| Quebracho Black | 5% - 8% |
dry extract | Color: Deep brown |
| 5% - 8%
|
dry extract | Color: warm tan |
|
| Quebracho Green | 5% - 8%
|
dry extract | Color: Bronzed green |
| Quebracho Red | 8% (soak in alcohol 1 hour, add boiling water) |
dry extract | Color: Brick red |
| Red Sandalwood | 6% |
dry extract | Color: Copper to red brown |
| Tesu | 4% |
dry extract | Color: Gold (green base) |
| Walnut | 8% |
dry crystals | Color:Earthy umber |
| Wattle | 7% |
dry extract | Color: Light red-based brown (also mordant) |
| Weld |
2% |
dry
extract |
Color:
Summer yellow |
Earth Oxides
| Bison | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Tawny Brown |
| Campfire | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Orange-based Red |
| Cast Iron | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Deep Gray |
| Chimney Rock | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Slickrock Red |
| Daffodil | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Yellow Ochre |
| Desert Peach | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Pink-based Soft Red |
| Plum Creek | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Warm Purpled Brown |
| Stagecoach Red | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Warm Browned Red |
| Timber Wolf | Earth Oxide: dry powder | Warm Grayed Brown |
| Midnight |
Earth
Oxide: dry powder |
Pitch
Black |
General Instructions for Dyeing with Earth Oxides
