BEFORE BEGINNING

WATER — pH, hard or soft water

FIBRES — animal (protein) and cellulose (plant)

WOF — weight of fibre

SCOURING — process for protein and cellulose fibres

MORDANTS — alum and aluminum acetate

TANNINS — clear, yellow, red-brown

ADDITIVES — cream of tartar, ferrous sulphate

MORDANT PROCESS — protein fibres

MORDANT PROCESS — cellulose fibres

DYEING — our standard process

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Artisans have added colour to cloth for thousands of years. It is only recently (the first artificial dye was invented in 1857) that the textile industry has turned to synthetic dyes. Today, many craftspeople are rediscovering the joy of achieving colour through the use of renewable, non-toxic, natural sources.

 

Natural dyes are inviting and satisfying to use. Most are familiar substances that will spark creative ideas and widen your view of the world. Try experimenting. Colour can be coaxed from many different sources. Once the cloth or fibre is prepared for dyeing it will soak up the colour, yielding a range of results from deep jewel-like tones to dusky heathers and pastels. Variations are easily achieved by manipulating any of the elements of dyeing.

The instructions below will take you through the application of the "classic" dyes: those dyes that artisans and guilds have used for centuries. You will also learn everything you need to experiment with garden dyes or wild harvesting. If you can measure ingredients and boil water you can dye with natural colour.

Maiwa is constantly researching natural dye use and we are confident that a full palette can be achieved through the use of safe, time-honoured techniques and recipes.

Learning to use natural dyes is like cooking with colour. And just like cooking, it takes practice and care. Don’t rush the process. Attention to detail will give results you are proud to call your own.


  • Always use clean non-reactive vessels: stainless steel, unchipped enamel, glass, or plastic. Iron or copper vessels can also be used but the metal will react with the dyebath. Iron will dull or “sadden” colours. Copper will tend to brighten them.

  • Dyeing evenly is much more difficult with piece goods than with yarns. It is also much easier to dye protein fibres (wool, silk) than cellulose fibres (cotton, linen, hemp). For best results the beginner is well advised to start with wool or silk yarns.

  • Dry all fibres out of direct sunlight.

  • Read all instructions before beginning.

  • Mixing dyes or mordants and overdyeing can result in that one desired shade. Experimentation pays off and adds an element of creativity to your dyeing. Keep records.

  • All dyes are sensitive to water quality. In almost all cases soft water is preferable for washing, scouring, mordanting and dyeing. Rainwater or distilled water can also be used.

  • Natural dyes are not recommended for synthetic fabrics or fibres.

For the dyer, nothing matches the excitement 
of the first dip in the dyebath.

Health and Safety

The following guidelines will help ensure that dyeing is a fun, enjoyable activity:

Wear a mask when working with powders such as calx, lye, or indigo. Gloves are recommended to protect against colourants, irritants, and solutions which might be acidic or basic. When mixing powders and water always add the powder to the water. Never add water to a measure of powder. Keep pots and utensils used for dyeing completely separate from items used for cooking. Clearly label all containers and substances. Store dyes and chemicals separately and away from foods. Hazardous substances such as lye should be in a locked cabinet. Be mindful of pets and children.

Testing on a sample is recommended for all projects.

Customers are responsible for dye and mordant choices and combinations. To the best of our knowledge all the information offered here is true and accurate, however, Maiwa Handprints Ltd. or its staff will not be held responsible for such advice. Dye recipes should be tested prior to all projects. Maiwa Handprints Ltd. will not be held responsible for cost of products and/or labour to produce finished projects.

 

The acidity or alkalinity of the water used for natural dyeing (both in the mordant bath and the dye bath) will affect the colour. Soft water is best for practically all natural dyes with the exception of madder, weld, logwood and brazilwood. These dyes develop better in hard water (containing calcium and magnesium salts). Most natural dyers consider rainwater best (although in places it may be more contaminated than tap water), river water next best, and well or tap water the last choice as it often contains the largest amount of contaminants.

For dyes that prefer hard water, calcium carbonate can be added in the form of finely ground chalk, or an antacid (Tum’s, Rolaid) tablet. Also soda ash, household ammonia, or wood ash water can be added to push the pH up.

If local hard water needs to be made acidic, add vinegar, lemon juice or a few crystals of citric acid. Water that contains iron is difficult to use for natural dyeing as it will not be possible to achieve clear, pure colours. In this case colours will be “saddened” that is, muted and darker.

Neutral (pH7) water should be used for rinsing and washing naturally dyed fibres and fabrics, otherwise there may be unwanted colour changes. A set of pH strips is a good way to test the water. 

 

For the dyer, the fibre world is divided into two types: Protein and Cellulose. Scouring, mordanting and dyeing is different for each type.

Animal (protein) fibres are wools, hairs, and silks

Plant (cellulose) fibres are cottons, linens, hemp, ramie etc..

As mentioned earlier, yarns are the easiest to dye. Woven materials require care to get even coverage. A suitably large dyepot is very important. Tightness of weave is also a consideration. Garments are the trickiest to dye. Watch out for synthetic stitching (it will not take on colour) and areas of wear or perspiration as they will dye unevenly. When using wools, care is required to avoid felting.

See our free lesson on FIBRE TYPES at the Maiwa School of Textiles.

 

 

WOF - Weight of fibre

All measures in dyeing are based on the weight of material to be dyed. This is known as the Weight Of Fibre (WOF). WOF gives a convenient way to state how much dyestuff is needed for a given shade, regardless of whether the dyer wants to colour a few yarns or several metres of fabric. The weight of dyestuff is expressed as a percentage of WOF.

For example:
To dye a medium-red with madder, we would use 50% WOF. Hence, if we had a pound of cotton, we would need a half-pound of madder.


Weight of Fibre (dry) x % = Weight of Dyestuff (dry).

50% WOF madder — (metric) 450g x .5 = 225g.  Use 225g of dyestuff to dye 450g of fibre.

50% WOF madder — (imperial) 1lb x .5 = .5lb. Use half a pound of dyestuff to dye a pound of fibre.

Alternatively, cochineal bugs only require 5% WOF for a deep shade. Hence, to dye the same amount of fibre we would need:

5% WOF cochineal — (metric) 450g x .05 = 22.5g. Use 22.5g of dyestuff to dye 450g of fibre.

5% WOF cochineal — (imperial) 1lb x .05 = .05lb. Use .05lb of dyestuff to dye a pound of fibre.

Yarns, fibres, and fabrics are always 
weighed dry before scouring.

Tip: Keeping notes of the weight of fibre and how much dyestuff was used will help plan future projects - clipping a sample of dyed yarn beside the notes makes for a wonderful record.

See our free lesson on Weight of Fibre (WOF) at the Maiwa School of Textiles

Indigo dyed cloth - unscoured on the left, scoured on the right.

Indigo dyed cloth - unscoured on the left, scoured on the right.

Yarns and fabrics need to be scoured before dyeing. Soured items dye more evenly, the dye penetrates better, and dyed colours are more lightfast and washfast.

Note: Fabrics sold as “ready for dyeing” may not need scouring.

Supplies:

Soda ash & Synthrapol (for cotton)
Orvus paste soap (for silk & wool)

Scouring cellulose fibres:

Cotton, linen, hemp, etc.

  1. Fill a large pot so that cloth or yarns are covered and not crowded.

  2. For each 450g (1 pound) of goods add 10ml (2 teaspoons) Synthrapol and 20g (4 teaspoons) soda ash. 

  3. Simmer for approximately 1 hour. Cotton is full of wax, pectic substances, and oil, all of which must be removed. The resulting wash water may be yellow brown. Bleached white cotton yarns and fabrics may not need as long.

  4. Allow fibre to cool down slowly and then rinse in warm water.
               
    Fabrics marked PFD (Prepared for Dyeing) may only need a light scour or none at all (always test before omitting). To lightly scour fabrics (not yarns) you may use a top-loading washing machine. Use the above recipe and hot water.

Scouring Protein Fibres:

Silk, wool, hair etc.

  1. Fill a large pot so that cloth or yarns are covered and not crowded.

  2. For each 450g (1 pound) of goods add 5 ml (1 teaspoon) orvus paste soap.

  3. Heat gently to 60º C (140º F) for approximately 1 hour. Turn gently but do not agitate

  4. Allow fibre to cool down slowly and then rinse in warm water. 
               
    Fabrics marked PFD (Prepared for Dyeing) may only need a light scour or none at all (always test before omitting). To lightly scour fabrics (not yarns) you may use a top-loading washing machine. Use the above recipe and warm water. To avoid felting do not agitate.

See our free lesson on Scouring at Maiwa School of Textiles

 

Colourfast dyeing usually requires a mordant. Mordants are metallic salts that facilitate the bonding of the dyestuff to the fibre. Cellulose fibres also require a tannin in order to bond well. Tannins are not technically mordants (they are not metallic salts) but they are often included when speaking about the mordant process for cellulose fibres - as in, “mordanted with alum at 15% WOF and and myrobalan at 5% WOF.”

Some natural dye recipes still call for the use of heavy metal mordants such as chrome. Historically these were introduced during the industrial revolution and we do not recommend them. Heavy metal mordants can be toxic, presenting real challenges for safe use and disposal. Moreover most colours obtained through the use of heavy metals may be obtained through overdyeing or variations in the dye procedure. For those who wish to obtain a mordant from plants, Symplocos is a natural bio-accumulator of alum.

Mordant procedures for protein and cellulose fibres are not interchangeable.

Alum

Potassium Aluminum Sulfate

Potassium aluminum sulfate is the mordant most frequently used by dyers for protein (animal) and cellulose (plant) fibres and fabrics. It improves light and washfastness of all natural dyes and keeps colours clear. It is inexpensive and safe to use. This form of alum is refined from bauxite, the raw state of aluminum ore, and is free from the impurities (such as iron) some other alums may contain. Use at 15% WOF.


Aluminum Acetate
Aluminum acetate is often the preferred alum mordant for cellulose fibres and fabrics. It is refined from bauxite with acetic acid as a purifying agent. Some dyes develop to a richer shade on cellulose when mordanted with aluminum acetate. Aluminum acetate is the recommended mordant when printing with natural dyes. It is more expensive and sometimes hard to find. Use at 5-8% WOF.


Homemade Aluminum Acetate
Aluminum acetate can be made from sodium acetate and potassium aluminum sulfate. Depending on the availability of these materials in your area, this can be cost effective.

To make enough aluminum acetate to mordant 1 kilo of fabric, combine in 3 litres of hot tap water:

  • 150 g sodium acetate or calcium acetate

  • 150 g potassium aluminum sulfate

This can be added to your mordant bath (see the how-to section).

For Mordanting Instructions see:

 

Tannin is used to assist the mordants of cellulose fibres and fabrics. Alum does not bond very well with cellulose fibres. However, tannin bonds well with cellulose and once treated with tannin, alum will combine with the tannin-fibre complex. Many dyestuffs contain tannin (black oak, pomegranate, cutch, fustic, oak gall etc.) and do not need an additional tannin.

Tannins can be clear or they can add colour to the fibre, and this is an important consideration when selecting a tannin. Experiment with different tannins and find the one that works best for the colours you like.

 

Cream of tartar
Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) is a salt of tartaric acid. It is commonly obtained as a sediment produced in the wine-making process. Cream of tartar is an optional addition to the dyebath to soften wool, brighten shades, and point the colour of some dyes (it will move the fuschia of cochineal to a pure red). Cream of tartar works best with protein fibres but is seldom used with silk. It is not used with cellulose fibres. Use at 5-6% WOF.

Iron – Ferrous sulphate
Like alum, Iron is a metal mordant which will increase the fastness of any colour. Unlike alum however, It is far from neutral; making other dyes darker and richer. Iron will also "sadden" bright colours. It is most often used with cellulose fibres like cotton, linen, rayon and hemp and should be used with care on protein fibres as it can make them slightly hard or brittle. If used in the mordant process colour shifts are more distinct than if added while dyeing. Most dyers apply iron as a post-dye process. Iron should be used at 2-4% WOF. Above 4% may damage fibres.

  1. Measure ferrous sulphate at 2% WOF. Dissolve in hot water. Add to kettle. Fill the kettle with enough hot water to fully cover the fibre when added.

  2. Add wet, mordanted or dyed fibre,

  3. Heat to 71 - 77ºC (160 - 170ºF) hold for 30 minutes.

  4. Rinse well. Remember to thoroughly scrub a pot that has been used to iron mordant or it will contaminate the next dye.

Homemade Ferrous Acetate

When printing with natural dyes, we recommend changing ferrous sulphate to ferrous acetate to avoid bleeding and ferrous transfer (the migration of iron).

  • 5 g ferrous sulfate

  • 100 ml vinegar

  • 3 g lime (calcium hydroxide) 

Combine the below ingredients in a plastic container and stir well. If thickening is required, weigh the amount of ferrous acetate you wish to thicken and add 1% of guar gum.

Ferrous acetate needs to be fixed to the cloth. We use chalk (calcium carbonate) 50g in 5 litres of warm water. Once your goods that have been treated with ferrous acetate are fully dry, dip them into this solution. This solution may be kept and reused again and again. Generally you may refresh with 50 g of chalk after each 10 kg of fabric.

 

HOW TO MORDANT SILK OR OTHER PROTEIN FIBRES

Standard Mordant Recipe

  1. Weigh the fibre dry, then scour.

  2. Measure alum at 15% WOF

  3. OPTIONAL Measure cream of tartar at 6% WOF (see cream of tartar in the additive section above).

  4. Dissolve the alum (and the optional cream of tartar) in very hot water in a non-reactive container.

  5. Add the dissolved chemicals to the dye kettle with enough warm water 45º C (110º F) to cover the fibre when it is added - usually a 30:1 ration of water to fibre. Stir well.

  6. Add the scoured, wet fibre. Over 30-45 minutes bring the temperature up to 90º C (195ºF) Just under simmer for wool and 85ºC (185ºF) for silk. Rotate the yarn or fabric frequently so the alum is evenly distributed. Hold for one hour, gently turning the fibre regularly.

  7. Let cool in the bath for 20 minutes.

  8. Remove the fibre from the mordant bath. Rinse well in cool water and allow to hang evenly over a non-reactive rod (stainless steel, plastic) until it stops dripping. Store the yarn or cloth in a damp white cloth for 24-48 hours. Keep it damp during this entire period.

  9. Once completely dry, mordanted yarns and fabrics may be stored indefinitely. 

 

HOW TO MORDANT COTTON OR OTHER CELLULOSE FIBRES

Cellulose fibres can be fully dried and stored before dyeing. Fibres do not need to be re-mordanted between dyes. Once a fibre has been mordanted it can be dyed and then overdyed without any further mordanting.

INITIAL STEPS

  1. Weigh the fibre dry, record the weight, then scour.

  2.  Choose your tannin – The tannin bath must always be done first.

  3.  Choose one of the alums from the mordant process below.

THE TANNIN PROCESS

  1. Measure tannin to the recommended WOF for the tannin you are using. Dissolve in hot water.

  2. Fill the kettle with enough hot water 120°F - 140°F  (48°C - 60°C) to cover the fibres.

  3. Add your chosen tannin, stir.

  4. Add the scoured, wet fibres.

  5. Let soak for 1-2 hours. Stirring occasionally (cover kettle so it stays warm).

  6. Remove the fibre and very gently rinse and wring – or spin out in a centrifuge (Spinnex), or the spin cycle of a washing machine. In order not to have to re-wet-out your fibres, do not allow fibre to dry before proceeding to the alum mordant.

    You can let the fibres steep in the tannin bath for an additional 8-24 hours. Steeping may give deeper colours, but always test your fabric-water-pot combination when steeping for more than a couple of hours.

THE MORDANT PROCESS

Note: For more effective mordanting on fibres such as linen we mordant twice with alum. For example we will mordant once with alum at 15% WOF and then again with a fresh mordant bath of alum at 10% WOF. Or we will do a tannin/alum/alum mordant to achieve slightly richer colours.

For the procedures below you do not “cook” the fibre. Begin with very hot tap water 48°C - 60°C (120°F - 140°F). It is not necessary to heat the bath again to maintain temperature.

Alum – Aluminum Potassium Sulfate

  1. Fill the kettle with enough hot water 120°F - 140°F  (48°C - 60°C) to cover the fibres.

  2. Measure soda ash at 2% WOF. Dissolve in hot water and add to the kettle.

  3. Measure alum at 15% WOF. Dissolve in hot water and add to the kettle.

  4. Add wet fibre (already treated with tannin) to your kettle.

  5. Let soak for 1-2 hours (cover the kettle so it stays warm).

  6. Now the fibre may be:   a. Rinsed and remordanted

                                  b. Rinsed and dyed

                                  c. Left to steep for an additional 8-24 hrs and then rinsed

                                  d. Rinsed and dried, to dye later.


Aluminum Acetate

Note: Some dyers omit the initial tannin process when using Aluminum Acetate. In our experience we have found keeping the tannin process results in superior lightfastness.

(see our recipe for homemade alum acetate)

  1. Measure aluminum acetate at 8% WOF. Dissolve in hot water and add to the kettle.

  2. Add wet fibre (already treated with tannin) to your kettle.

  3. Fill the kettle with enough hot water 120°F - 140°F  (48°C - 60°C)   to cover the fibres. Stir.

  4. Let soak for 1-2 hours (cover the kettle so it stays warm) or steep overnight.

  5. Chalk (fix) the fibre. Aluminum acetate must be fixed prior to dyeing. In some cultures this is known as dunging (as cow dung is used, which is high in phosphates). To 5 litres of warm water add 50g of chalk (calcium carbonate). Fully wet the fibre and wring out. Rinse thoroughly after chalking. These solutions may be kept and refreshed after every 10kg of fibre.

    As an alternative to chalking you may use 100g of wheat bran to 5 litres of warm water. The wheat bran needs to soak for about 30 minutes before adding your fibre. The wheat bran option is sometimes preferable for processes using thickened mordants. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.

  6. Now the fibre may be:

    1. Dyed immediately

    2. Dried completely for dyeing at a later date.

Download the PDF — Table of Contents

Before beginning, keep in mind that dyes are not like paints: dyes combine with fibres to give character and personality, depth and texture. They do not produce a uniform, even, shade. It is these variations that give an added dimension and excitement to natural dyes. Like fine wines that change with the years to reflect the weather of the seasons, the conditions of the soil, and the tastes of the vintner; dyes will give slightly different shade each time they are used. They will alter when you change the dyeing conditions, mordants, colour pointers (such as cream of tartar and iron) and over dye. Experiment and play with this potential (keeping notes will help).

Recipes for dyes are listed with each dyestuff.

These instructions, including recipes for each dyestuff are also available as a PDF

Standard Procedure for Dyeing (check the specific dyestuff for variations)

  1. Measure your dyes.

  2. Add hot tap water to your dye kettle. Add enough water so that the fibres can move freely (don’t add the things to be dyed just yet!). If you don’t add enough water you may get uneven colours, if you add too much water you will lower the concentration of your dyes.

  3. Add your dyestuff to the dye kettle.

  4. Wet out your yarns or cloth.

  5. Add your scoured, mordanted, wetted yarns or cloth to your dye kettle.

  6. Bring heat up slowly - the exact temperature will depend on the fibres you are dyeing and dye you are using. The temperature should be no higher than 85º C (185º F) for silk, 90º Cº (195º F) for wool, and 93º C (200º F) for cottons, linen and hemp fibres. Some dyes (such as madder) will release different colourants at different temperatures, check the recipe of the dyestuff you are using.

  7. Most dyes require that the temperature be held for 1 hour. During this time the materials to be dyed should be gently turned on a regular basis.

  8. Turn off the heat and allow the dyebath to cool slowly.

  9. Some colours will benefit from staying in the dyebath overnight - exceptions are most yellow dyes and logwood.

  10. Remove items from the dyebath and rinse gently in cool water. Hang to dry out of direct sunlight.

“Dye Bag” Raw Dyestuff for Yarn Dyeing

Raw dyestuff may be challenging to remove from yarns after dyeing. To avoid this problem we recommend making a dye bag for the dye material. We use white, tightly-woven, polyester fabric to make a dye bag that will contain the dyestuff, yet leave plenty of room for the dye material to swell, release colourants, and move about. Form a bag to contain the measured dyestuff and close the opening securely. The entire bag is then immersed in the dyepot with the yarns. The fabric used to make the dye bag may be reused multiple times.

About Extracts

The dye colourant always needs to be extracted from host material (roots, barks, petals, or leaves). Usually this extraction happens in the dyebath, but sometimes (as with indigo, cutch, or any of the insect dyes) it is an entirely separate process.

We sell natural dyes as both raw materials and extracts. Extracts are very concentrated and so smaller amounts are needed compared to working with the raw material.

Our general philosophy is to work with dyes in their raw form. Working with raw materials increases your feeling for the material and gives you control over both process and colour. 

After Dyeing

Natural dyes will “set up” over time. Depending on the dyes used, maximum fastness is achieved by letting the cloth set for a period of one to two weeks before working with the cloth or washing it with soap. Here is what we recommend:

Directly after the dyeing process, gently wash in lukewarm water without soap. Allow to dry completely. During this wash you want to remove any dyestuff (powdered madder for example) and ensure the cloth or yarns are clean.

Then, after two weeks or more you can wash with lukewarm water and a PH neutral soap. Remember to store dyed fabrics and yarns out of direct sunlight.

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Download the PDF — Table of Contents

Some colour from natural dyes …