Period dyeing is similar to natural dyeing....for those of you not in the know. Natural dyeing has been made very easily accessible because of the recent upswing in the vegan lifestyle choices.
Subsequently, it is my vegan clients who have challenged me to be a bit more green and get back to doing research on period dyeing. So this I share with my Elizabethan Costuming community.
Vegan – no use of any animal byproduct whatsoever. Vegetarian is a little more flexible but I've broken down the recipes thus (* marks non-vegan dyeing products):
Colors:
The colors that are easiest to achieve are pink, salmon, goldenrod, saffron, wheat and sage, burnt orange and bright orange.
Goldenrod Plants = Goldenrod Color
Zinnias and Marigold Flowers= Sort of light orange
Madder root = deep orange/burned orange
Onion skins, cabbage and black walnuts = saffron
Beets=pink and mauve
Berries = purple hues
*Wine – color of same
Coffee – color of same
Tea – color of same
*Eggshells = ecru
Subsequently, it is my vegan clients who have challenged me to be a bit more green and get back to doing research on period dyeing. So this I share with my Elizabethan Costuming community.
Vegan – no use of any animal byproduct whatsoever. Vegetarian is a little more flexible but I've broken down the recipes thus (* marks non-vegan dyeing products):
Colors:
The colors that are easiest to achieve are pink, salmon, goldenrod, saffron, wheat and sage, burnt orange and bright orange.
Goldenrod Plants = Goldenrod Color
Zinnias and Marigold Flowers= Sort of light orange
Madder root = deep orange/burned orange
Onion skins, cabbage and black walnuts = saffron
Beets=pink and mauve
Berries = purple hues
*Wine – color of same
Coffee – color of same
Tea – color of same
*Eggshells = ecru
Black walnuts = dark brown
Cabbage and onion skins = pale yellow gold
Cabbage and onion skins = pale yellow gold
Fiddle Ferns = bright green
Black Walnuts - One of the very best browns comes from the husks of black walnuts. This is a multi-purpose project, as you can eat the nuts and use the husks for dye. Walnut husks produce a substantive dye, which means that you will not need to use a mordant to make it permanent. Brown from black walnuts is very light-fast and will not fade over time. (Wear gloves when dealing with walnuts...they will dye your hands brown)
With most of these, you have to boil them for a time in order to extract the solution with which you intend to dye.
I do have a ton of vegan clients who like my linen and cotton veggie dyed handbags....and these techniques and colors are all pretty easy to do, generally.
That being said: I call all of this Natural dyeing, but make sure you exclude things like silk, wool and the eggshells if you have a vegan client.
I have one gigantic army issue stock pot and a hot plate. That's all. It is time consuming...and heavy. LOL. So...invite a friend if you have other stuff you want to do whilst awaiting the proverbial pot and boiling water fun.
Fiber fixative for all plants that exclude berries: ½ cup salt to 8 cups of water and either alum and tartaric acid or soda ash will work. (I use soda ash because, as I came to find out the drug store alum is not the same thing and if you use it, you too will be a super sad panda) Boil the water, salt and soda ash together.
If you're using berries as a base, add ½ cup vinegar to ever eight cups of water you have.
Typically when doing wool, for example, I get two yards more than what I need in white or offwhite. I boil the wool in the extracted color. Rinse the fabric until the water runs clear and then boil it once more in the fixative.
It is time consuming...but if you're interested in a vegan outcome or....historically accurate outcome...this way is the tops.
OH. STOP. Don't throw out that dye. The natural dyes will dye as much fabric as any other dye...sometimes more....the dye will dye until it can dye no more. LOL.
Enjoy!
Black Walnuts - One of the very best browns comes from the husks of black walnuts. This is a multi-purpose project, as you can eat the nuts and use the husks for dye. Walnut husks produce a substantive dye, which means that you will not need to use a mordant to make it permanent. Brown from black walnuts is very light-fast and will not fade over time. (Wear gloves when dealing with walnuts...they will dye your hands brown)
With most of these, you have to boil them for a time in order to extract the solution with which you intend to dye.
I do have a ton of vegan clients who like my linen and cotton veggie dyed handbags....and these techniques and colors are all pretty easy to do, generally.
That being said: I call all of this Natural dyeing, but make sure you exclude things like silk, wool and the eggshells if you have a vegan client.
I have one gigantic army issue stock pot and a hot plate. That's all. It is time consuming...and heavy. LOL. So...invite a friend if you have other stuff you want to do whilst awaiting the proverbial pot and boiling water fun.
Fiber fixative for all plants that exclude berries: ½ cup salt to 8 cups of water and either alum and tartaric acid or soda ash will work. (I use soda ash because, as I came to find out the drug store alum is not the same thing and if you use it, you too will be a super sad panda) Boil the water, salt and soda ash together.
If you're using berries as a base, add ½ cup vinegar to ever eight cups of water you have.
Typically when doing wool, for example, I get two yards more than what I need in white or offwhite. I boil the wool in the extracted color. Rinse the fabric until the water runs clear and then boil it once more in the fixative.
It is time consuming...but if you're interested in a vegan outcome or....historically accurate outcome...this way is the tops.
OH. STOP. Don't throw out that dye. The natural dyes will dye as much fabric as any other dye...sometimes more....the dye will dye until it can dye no more. LOL.
Enjoy!
