Most people don't think much about the clothes they wear. They have little idea where they come from.
When you learn about spinning, dyeing and weaving, you realize that the way clothing is manufactured today is very different from that.
The first synthetic dye was discovered in 1856 by accident. William Perkin was an 18-year old chemistry research assistant working on the development of a cheap synthetic quinine, used to fight malaria. Determined to make profit from his discovery he patented his purple dye and set up a factory. After many early problems, the dye factory finally produced a solid dye in 1864.
Until that time, dyes had been natural dyes, derived either from plants, minerals or animals.
There are many misconceptions about Natural Dyes. Many people believe that Natural Dyes are not colorfast. Sadly, that is another misconception. The addition of alum prevents the color from washing out.
Another misconception is that you can't get very many colors with Natural Dyes. Again, this is not true. Take a workshop in Natural Dyes (see Links page) and discover for yourself the variety of colors you can produce with dyes that are natural and better for the environment than modern acid dyes.
One fact that is true is that Natural Dyes are not commercially viable these days. They are more labor intensive and take longer to prepare. However, the results are so vibrant, bright, and beautiful that you may wonder why they are not used more widely.
There are many fine books available on the process of dyeing, and there are many sources for buying dyes that are ready to use. Some dyes don't have to special ordered. For example, onion skins, saffron, marigold flowers, and walnut leaves are easy to come by. There also is great fun in experimentation. You may have flowers in your garden that may yield a great dye. Cut up the flowers or plants into small pieces and place in a pot (get an old pot at a second-hand store). Use twice as much water than plant material. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Then add your fabric or yarn to be dyed. Exposure time determines the shade of color you get. Longer exposure times will yield a darker color. Some dyes are affected by adding lime juice or honey to produce an entirely different color.
Most dye solutions can be poured in clean plastic jugs and re-used many times.
One consideration is that each dye batch may be different. The best course of action is to use a tiny sample to dye first and if you like the color use it on the entire amount of fabric or fiber you will need for your project. Dyeing half on one day and half on the next day can give you inconsistent results. That is one reason why many people do not use Natural Dyes.
Please click on the image below to see a slideshow of some of the beautiful results you can get with Natural Dyes.
