Herb Based Dyes

Herbal dyes are made by making a very strong decoction of the plant part that will yield the best color with a mordant (fixative) added to help set the color fast so they wont wash out or fade but, in some cases to help bring out the color. The most common herb parts used are Ð seeds, flowers, leaves, berries, stems, bark and roots.

A simple way to dye wool, for example, is to: Take 1 LB of wool, cover with enough colored water (dye), add 1Ú4 LB of Alum and 1 oz Cream of Tartar, all in an enamel pot (making sure it is unchipped, metal will react unfavorably with the dye process). Keep the pot on low heat until water warm before adding the wool, and then bring it to a boil, raising the temperature slowly. Once it has boiled, reduce the heat and keep warm long enough for he dye to be absorbed (you have to raise some of he wool out of the pot to check the color from time to time until it is darker than desired Ð it will fade after initial washing). The longer it stays in the better the color. Allow it to cool completely, then wash in cool water several times, until it rinses clear. Let it dry slightly and if at this time you would like to make it darker, just put it back into the dye and repeat this process till the desired color is had. When the color you want is reached your done. Wash one final time and allow it to dry slowly and completely, line drying is good.

Many things will effect the final color Ð type of material used: wool, cotton, linen, silk, paper, etc., type of mordant used, length of dye process, number of times repeated, amount of rinsing, temperature of the dye bath and rinse water, the dye plant itself, the age of the dye plant, season, amount of sunlight or artificial light (and type of light you work under) and so many uncontrollable things. That is what makes dyeing so fun.

Woad is possibly one of the most famous dye plants used in Europe. It was first used in Britain to create a wonderful deep blue color, until indigo was brought over from India but, woad produces a faster color than indigo. Woad was the only plant, at that time, which would produce the deep blue sought by royalty, clergy and the well to do. To produce the deep blue is not a simple process: The leaves are dried, then made into a paste, piled into heaps, exposed to air to allow fermentation to take place for at least 2 weeks. The mass is made into cakes, dried and once dry broken up and allowed to ferment for nine more weeks. After that, the plant is mixed with water in which lime has been dissolved to bring out the deep blue color. &ndsp;

List of Dye Plants by Color

BLACK

• Yellow Flag root with sulphate or iron
• Elder root and bark of older branches

BLUE

• Elderberries
• Chicory leaves
• Elecampane root Ð needs to be mixed with ashes and Whortleberries
• Woad leaves
• Yellow Flag flowers
• Indigo plant

BROWN

• Hops stalks, a brownish red
• Teasel flowers
• Wild Marjoram flowering tops, brownish red
• Goldenrod, with copperas

GREEN

• Elder leaves, with alum
• Hyssop leaves, a greenish gray with copperas
• Tansy young shoots, greenish gray with alum
• Scotch Broom
• DyerÕs Broom Ð combined with Woad, alum, cream of tartar and sulphate of lime
• Lily-of-the-valley leaves

PURPLE

• Pokewood berries, a reddish purple, magenta
• Elderberries with alum for a violet, alum and salt for a lilac
• St JohnÕs Wort flowers with tannic acid for a pinkish purple
• Wild Marjoram flowering tops

RED

• Garden Sorrel, root
• LadyÕs Bedstraw, young roots Ð stannous chloride, for a deep red and for terra cotta color you boil for some time.
• Madder root
• Pokeweed flower for a crimson

YELLOW

• Agrimony, whole plant. If gathered in September, a pale brownish yellow. If gathered later, a deep yellow.
• LadyÕs Bedstraw, stem and leaves
• DyerÕs Broom, a.k.a.: DyerÕs Greenwood. If gathered in June or July, combined with alum and cream of tartar, a bright yellow. It was used to turn blue wool green thatÕs how it got the name, Greening Weed.
• Fumitory flowers
• Yarrow flowers, with alum
• Toadflax flowers
• St JohnÕs Wort flowers, with alum
• Calendula flowers
• Cardoon bottoms
• Daphne seeds
• Goldenrod flowers, with alum for a lemon yellow. A bright yellow with stannous chloride is added.

Natural dyes adhere best and most firmly on wool. Silk also "takes" to natrual dyes; however, cotton and linen is more difficult, so the beginner should not attempt these until quiet proficent.

IMPORTANT:
The majority of natural dyes are not permanent unless the cloth be previously impregnated with what has been termed a mordant, which possesses a very strong affinity both with cloth and the dye and hence serves to bind the one to the other.

Mordant Recipe:
For each pound of wool to be dyed, dissolve 2 oz of alum and 1Ú2 oz cream of tartar in a little hot water. Then add this to 2 gallons of soft water. Immerse the wool, then heat slowly to simmer and allow it to simmer for half an hour. After this has cooled off, remove the wool and squeeze gently. When excess water is removed, place wool in a clean bag and hang in a dark place for 3 to 4 days or until thoroughly dry.

Dye Bath:
The amount of dye material used depends upon the shade of color desired. If fresh botanicals are used, chop them up into small pieces and allow to stand overnight in enough water to cover. On the following day, strain through four thicknesses of cheesecloth. Tie strained botanicals in the cheesecloth, so no particles of dye material will come out. Boil contents of bad for half an hour in dye water that you just strained off, plus additional soft water to make sufficient dye. Remove the cheesecloth and hang over the brew, so all the dye can drip back into the container. Squeeze until dry, then add enough water to bring it to two gallons. Rinse the wool in luke warm water, squeeze out excess water and immerse into the dye bath and bring the bath to a boil. Stir wool gently so all of it dye evenly but, do not agitate. Allow bath to simmer for half an hour.

When dyeing is complete, remove the wool and rinse in clear water, of the same temperature as the dye bath. Repeat operation in slightly cooler water until the water is completely cool and clear. Remember never to agitate the wool too much or you will end up with felt. Hang the wool in the shade until completely dry.

This information comes from, The Herbalist by Joseph E Meyer. IÕve provided an abbreviated form, complete in itself and a good place to start but the book contains so much more information and hints. If your further interested in how to produce dye baths from plant materials, please read the book and other like it. Also, check out my bibliography. If you know of any books that need to be listed, please email me all the information and I will be happy to add them.

Below is a List of Plants and the Colors they produce. To properly fix these colors or obtain the desired color refer to, The Herbalist, which lists various mordants needed, boiling times and the process required for the best results.

Plants by Color

BLACK
Log-Wood, Sumac, Alder Bark, Hibiscus Flower, Mangrove Root, Hazelnut Hulls and Butternut
This color is obtained by first dyeing in blue or brown and then adding it to a second dye bath to bring out the black color.

BLUE
Indigo, Woad, Blue Bottle

BROWN
Birch, Alder Bark, Sumac, Walnut peels/hulls, Walnut Root, Walnut Bark, Black Cutch or Catechu, Butternut, Marking Nut, Hemlock

GREEN
Do a Blue bath, then a Yellow bath, Giant Arbor Vitae, Rabbit Bush

GREY
Do a Brown dye bath, then Yellow.

ORANGE
Do a Yellow dye bath, then Red, Osage Orangewood

PURPLE
Do a Red dye bath and Blue, Poke berries

RED
Mahogany, Bristly Crow Foot, Lac, Kermes, Cochineal, Archil, Madder, Carthamus, Brasil Wood, Sappanwood, Continus Sumac, Henna, Logwood, Poinsettia, Red Sandalwood, Saffron, Beet Root, Blood Root

YELLOW
Wolf Moss, Jewelweed, Touch-Me-Not, Staghorn Sumac, Weld, Fustic, Quercitron Bark, Annatto, Gamboge, Safflower, Turmeric, Goldthread Root, Oregon Hollygrape, Yellow Dock