These are dyes that are obtained from natural (plant and animal) sources. These sources were used exclusively for thousands of years for dyeing, up until the mid-nineteenth century, when the chemical process to dye mauve was discovered.
This is rather a mish-mash of techniques and information, much like my dyeing method! I like to throw things together, just to see if they work and if they don�t, well at least I know it for sure. So most of this is going to be introductions and basic guidelines, with a lot of encouragement to just try different things out. If you want a lot of control in your process, dyeing of any sort isn�t really for you. But if you look at it as an experiment or learning experience it can be quite rewarding. Also, these are just guidelines. Because I used a certain formula to achieve a colour does not mean it will achieve the same colour for you, even if you follow the recipe exactly. Yes natural dyes, the postmodern process of the dye world.
Natural dyes can be fun and give surprisingly intense colour. However, not every plant is really suitable for dyeing. Most just give a brown or beige color when used as a dye. Others produce a strong color, but it is not fast. For this reason, many people use the �tried and tested� dye sources, like indigo or cochineal, only.
Much of the information I have found about natural dyes also deals only with these tried and tested dyes, powdered and pre-packaged for immediate use. That takes a lot of the fun out of it for me. I prefer to go out and grow or collect plant materials myself. The process is part of the enjoyment, though it is far less predictable than using powdered forms. Sometimes it�s a complete failure.
Natural dyes are usually best with animal fibres, such as wool or silk, though there are specific recipes for mordanting cellulose fibers. They will not work on synthetics. Most natural dyers, it seems, are also spinners, and use them to dye yarn. I buy old silk shirts from the second-hand store and cut them up for experimenting. I don�t mind so much then if I screw something up-which I have many the time!
