Sovereignty Module: Color the Cloth
Complete Herbal Dye Making and Natural Colors: From Plant to Pigment
Natural dyes transform raw textiles into beautiful, colored fabrics using plants, minerals, and insects. This campaign covers dye sources, mordanting, dyeing techniques, and color fastness.
Chapter 1: Dye Sources
| Source | Color | Part Used | Fastness | Availability | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onion skins | Yellow to orange | Outer skins | Good | Very common | Very low |
| Walnut hulls | Brown to black | Green hulls | Excellent | Common (fall) | Low |
| Indigo (woad) | Blue | Leaves | Excellent | Cultivated | High |
| Madder | Red to orange | Roots (3+ years) | Very good | Cultivated | Moderate |
| Turmeric | Bright yellow | Root/powder | Poor (fades) | Common (spice) | Very low |
| Cochineal | Red to crimson | Insect bodies | Excellent | Specialty | Moderate |
| Logwood | Purple to black | Heartwood | Good | Specialty | Moderate |
| Osage orange | Yellow to gold | Heartwood | Excellent | Eastern N. America | Low |
| Pokeberry | Pink to magenta | Berries | Poor | Eastern N. America | Very low |
| Avocado pits/skins | Pink to salmon | Pits and skins | Moderate | Common | Low |
| Black beans | Blue to purple | Soaking liquid | Poor-moderate | Common | Very low |
| Goldenrod | Yellow | Flowers | Good | Widespread | Low |
| Marigold | Yellow to gold | Flowers | Moderate | Cultivated | Very low |
| Oak bark | Brown to tan | Bark | Good | Widespread | Low |
Chapter 2: Mordanting
| Mordant | Color Effect | Toxicity | Cost | Availability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate) | Brightens colors | Very low | Low | Pharmacy, craft store | General mordanting |
| Iron (ferrous sulfate) | Darkens, "saddens" colors | Low | Very low | Rusty nails in vinegar | Darkening, greens |
| Copper (copper sulfate) | Shifts toward green/blue | Moderate | Low | Garden supply | Green tones |
| Tannin (oak galls, tea) | Helps protein fibers take dye | None | Very low | Nature, grocery | Pre-mordant for cotton |
| Cream of tartar | Brightens, assists alum | None | Low | Grocery | Used with alum |
| Vinegar | Mild mordant, pH shift | None | Very low | Grocery | Berry dyes |
Alum mordanting process: 1) Weigh dry fiber/fabric. 2) Dissolve alum: 15-20% of fiber weight in hot water. 3) Add cream of tartar: 6% of fiber weight (optional, brightens). 4) Add wet fiber to mordant bath. 5) Heat slowly to 180°F (do not boil wool). 6) Hold at 180°F for 1 hour. 7) Let cool in bath (or remove and store damp in plastic bag). 8) Mordanted fiber can be stored damp for up to a week. 9) Do not rinse before dyeing (mordant needs to stay in fiber). 10) Mordanting allows dye molecules to bond permanently with fiber.
Chapter 3: Dyeing Process
Basic dye procedure: 1) Prepare dye bath: simmer plant material in water (1-2 hours). 2) Strain out plant material (or use dye bag). 3) Add mordanted, wet fiber to dye bath. 4) Heat slowly to 180°F (wool) or simmer (cotton, linen). 5) Hold at temperature for 1-2 hours (longer = deeper color). 6) Check color periodically (wet fiber looks darker than dry). 7) Remove fiber when desired color is reached. 8) Rinse in progressively cooler water (avoid thermal shock on wool). 9) Wash gently with pH-neutral soap. 10) Dry in shade (sun fades some dyes). 11) First wash may release some excess dye (normal).
| Fiber Type | Mordant Affinity | Best Mordant | Dye Uptake | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wool | Excellent | Alum | Very good | Do not boil (felts) |
| Silk | Excellent | Alum | Very good | Gentle handling |
| Cotton | Poor (needs tannin pre-mordant) | Tannin + alum | Moderate | Requires extra steps |
| Linen | Poor (needs tannin pre-mordant) | Tannin + alum | Moderate | Similar to cotton |
| Nylon | Good | Alum | Good | Synthetic but dyes well |
Chapter 4: Color Recipes
| Desired Color | Primary Dye | Mordant | Modifier | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bright yellow | Onion skins | Alum | None | Clear yellow |
| Gold | Osage orange | Alum | None | Deep gold |
| Orange | Madder | Alum | None | Warm orange-red |
| Red | Madder (heavy) | Alum | Alkaline water | Deep red |
| Pink | Avocado pits | Alum | None | Soft salmon-pink |
| Green | Goldenrod + indigo | Alum | None | Yellow overdyed with blue |
| Blue | Indigo | None (vat process) | None | True blue |
| Purple | Logwood | Alum | None | Deep purple |
| Brown | Walnut hulls | None (tannin-rich) | None | Rich brown |
| Black | Walnut + iron | Iron mordant | None | Near-black |
| Gray | Logwood | Iron | None | Silver-gray |
Chapter 5: Indigo Dyeing
Indigo vat (fermentation method): 1) Harvest indigo or woad leaves. 2) Soak leaves in warm water for 12-24 hours. 3) Remove leaves, add alkali (wood ash lye or lime). 4) Beat/aerate the liquid vigorously (oxidizes indigo). 5) Let settle, pour off liquid, keep sediment (this is indigo pigment). 6) To make dye vat: dissolve indigo in alkaline water. 7) Add reducing agent (fermentation: wheat bran, madder, or fruit). 8) Keep warm (100-120°F) for several days. 9) Vat is ready when liquid turns yellow-green (reduced indigo). 10) Dip fiber into vat (appears yellow-green). 11) Remove and expose to air: fiber turns blue (oxidation). 12) Repeat dipping for deeper blue (3-10 dips for dark blue). 13) Rinse and dry.
Reference Card
- Mordant before you dye (without a mordant, most natural dyes wash out; alum is the safest and most versatile mordant). 2. Protein fibers dye easiest (wool and silk accept dye readily; cotton and linen need a tannin pre-mordant for good results). 3. Iron saddens colors (adding iron mordant darkens and mutes any dye; use it intentionally for greens, grays, and blacks). 4. Walnut needs no mordant (walnut hulls contain their own tannin; they dye permanently without any mordant). 5. Indigo is a vat dye (indigo does not work like other dyes; it requires a special alkaline, reduced vat and oxidizes to blue in air). 6. Wet fiber looks darker (always check color on a dried sample; wet-dyed fiber can look two to three shades darker than the final result). 7. Overdyeing creates new colors (dye yellow first, then overdye with blue for green; layering dyes expands your palette). 8. Grow your own dye garden (madder, woad, weld, and marigold can all be cultivated; a small garden provides a full color palette).