Cutch

Acacia catechu

Cutch Extract – This powder is an extract prepared from steeping the wood of the Acacia catechu tree in hot water until a syrupy liquid emerges. This is dried and then ground into powder. Cutch is common to most parts of India, Burma, Indonesia and Peru. Indian cutch is by far the most beautiful. It is a good source of colourfast shades of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Cutch extract contains tannins as well as the dye component catechu. It is easily soluble in water. Cutch has excellent light and washfast properties.

See the MAIWA GUIDE TO NATURAL DYES

Mordanting: Use alum mordant at 15% WOF for protein fibres.

For cellulose fibres either 1) Just use cutch alone at 15-30 or 2) for a deeper colour, use a clear tannin (like oak gall) and then alum at 15% and soda ash at 2% and then dye as below.

Dyeing with the extract: Use cutch at 15-30% WOF to dye a medium depth of shade. Completely dissolve the powdered cutch (it may be a little sticky) in boiling water and add it to dyebath.

Options: Deeper colours can be achieved by first soaking cutch extract in a weak mixture of caustic soda. Add 1 tsp lye or sodium hydroxide to 4 litres (1 gallon) of water. Soak for 1 hour. Then add more water and neutralize with acetic acid or vinegar to pH7. Add this neutral solution to the dyebath. Fibres are then added and the dyebath is kept at a low simmer for at least two hours. Cutch is not easily exhausted and dyebaths can be used multiple times for lighter shades.

An alum mordant yields toffee browns. The addition of iron at 2-4% WOF yields chocolate browns, while a 5% soda ash or calcium hydroxide rinse will redden the cutch colour. The addition of 2% WOF hydrogen peroxide during the final 15 minutes of dyeing will darken cutch considerably. Allowing the fibre to cool down and sit in the dyebath overnight will give the darkest shades.

Below: Cutch 30% WOF

Below: Cutch 30% WOF and Iron 2% WOF

Below: Cutch 30% WOF finished with calx (calcium hydroxide)

Below: Cutch 30% and Madder 20% WOF