Removing Excess Rust - Process One The Soak Method

Supplies for removing excess rust using the soak method: gloves, tongs, long spoon for stirring, bucket, warm water, baking soda, plastic to protect work area, rusted fabric. 

Remember all items used for this project are NOT to be used again for genearl cooking/eating purposes.  Please use studio dedicated tools ONLY for safety's sake!!!  Wear gloves and old work clothes if you do not wish to stain your hands or your clothes.

Add to your clean bucket 1 quart of hot water and then mix in 1/4 cup baking soda.

The water will become fizzy, this is ok.

View of  your baking soda water, this is what you will use to reduce the rust on the surface of the fabric

Push your fabric into the warm water solution and thoroughly wet out the fabric making sure the fabric is beneath the waters surface, add more warm water if needed.

This is what your fabric will look like in the bucket, after about 3-5 minutes your water will start to change color as the baking soda knocks the rust/iron oxide particles loose from the fabrics surface.  I genearlly allow my fabric to soak overnight, if the rusted area is excessively heavy I will change the baking soda solution. You can save this solution as a mordant for dyeing other fabrics, you could pour it into an old soda bottle for later use.

Removing Excess Rust - Getting Started

Removing Excess Rust - Getting Started Removing Rust is very simple and is a form of discharge dyeing.

 

Above are three pieces of fabric I rust dyed using an old coffee can lid in 2003, each piece of fabric has varying stages of rust on the surface depending on their position in the rust bundle layer.  The piece of fabric to the far left was closest to the metal lid and therefore has acquired the greatest amount of rust on the surface.  The iron oxide particles are so thick that they shimmer as just like metal.

 

Above, detail of teh rusted fabric and rust particles.  Click on image for greater detail

Above supplies needed, excluding old tooth brush, foam brush, and nitrile gloves, includes bucket for soaking fabrics in, baking soda, water, and rusted fabrics.

Heavy Rust What To Do???

Heavy Rust What To Do??? I'm asked this question frequently especailly by quilters who are battling shredding threads, broken needles, etc.  Following is a multi part tutorial that will hopefully reduce the frustration of shredded threads etc.  

As you can see in the above photo there are heavily rusted areas that appear to be actual rusted metal.  That's because it is rusted metal.  The rusting process allows rust particles, iron oxide, to accumulate on the surface of the fibers/fabrics.  The end result, depending on the length of time the fabric is allowed to rust, is sharp jagged metallic edges that shreds thread, dulls needles, and leaves little flecks of iron oxide everywhere.

Cochineal Vat

4 ounces of Cochineal was used to dye alum mordanted silk velvet, dupioni, and organa fabrics.

Blouse

Rust dyed cotton blouse over dyed with logwood purple yeilded this lovely charocoal with deep purple tones.

Rust Dyed Blouse

Rust Dyed Blouse which is currently residing in a logwood vat.

Madder Root on Cotton and Monitor Colors

In case your monitor is reading tans and beige be rest assured that the colors in my Madder Root on Vintage Trims post are in fact peach, coral, and orange! AND there's even a bright neon yellowish to orangish on the nylon cotton blend. NOTE that colors DO vary from monitor to monitor, and my monitor is set to CMYK mode.

While dyeing cotton fabrics does involve a certain amount of work bright colors CAN be obtained on cotton and linen fabrics! Don't be discouraged by what other's say bright colors ARE obtainable on cotton and linen. I've been dyeing cotton for over 15 years now and I'm living proof that it is indeed possible.

Madder Root Dyed Vintage Lace and Trims

Vintage lace and trims I picked up at a yard sale this summer, some are antiques. Everything has been scoured by washing twice in hot water - to get rid of the smell, then boiled with soda ash for two hours. The items were then mordanted with alum and soaked for two days in the alum vat, I then dyed everything with Madder Root Extract I left them to soak in the madder root vat for two days. The brighter yellow items are made of nylon hence the color.

Today's Dye Session

Today's dye session consisted of a madder root extract vat and a logwood purple extract vat. The madder root vat contains a combination of cotton and linen vintage trims. The logwood vat contains vintage damask napkins and linen napkins.

Basic Natural Dyeing Safety

Dye Safety
Copyright 2003
Kimberly Baxter Packwood

Never assume that because it’s a natural dye that it’s safe!

Many people have allergies to grasses, weeds, flowers and trees.

IF you are a highly sensitive/allergic person then be sure of what you are dyeing WITH before dyeing.

IF you have severe allergies consult with your doctor prior to dyeing with grasses, flowers, tree parts, or any unknown or known weed.

Always work in an area that is designated for studio/dye work.

Never use dye materials, mordants or other dyestuffs in your designated cooking areas!

Use only dedicated dye equipment that is used for dyeing/surface design only. Never use this equipment for cooking food for human consumption.

Use a high quality respirator when handling dye extracts and mordants.

Work in an adequately ventilated area.

Stirring the Indigo Fermentation Vat

Here you can see the madder root, which has yet to break down, under the indigo water's surface the water has a blue foam on the top but has not turned a dark blue yet. This vat requires more fermentation time before it will become usable.

The vat will start out dark blue color you will need to beat air into the vat to get it to reduce at this time. Beating the indigo fermentation vat seems to defy all logic when it comes to indigo dyeing - where you are constantly being told to NOT introduce Oxygen into the vat, this is the one time you get to stir the dickens out of your indigo vat and it results in great colors!

Here the color is beginning to turn a dark pea green color, it needs further reduction so keep stirring until it turns yellow.

Indigo Fermentation Vat

Natural Indigo Fermentation Vat
Copyright 2006
Kimberly Baxter Packwood



Natural Indigo Fermentation Vat Mini-Vat Instructions

1.0 ounce Natural Indigo Ground
0.5 ounce Madder Root cut into fine pieces
0.5 ounce Bran (Wheat works best, Oat will also work)
3.0 ounce Soda Ash
Stainless Steel, or Enamel, Pot. A plastic bucket may be substituted for the pot, be sure that has a tight fitting lid.

Place warm water, not boiling, into pot, preferably one that holds more than 2 gallons of water.

WARNING: Wear respirator when working with ground indigo, anything in powdered form will float easily in the air making it easily inhaled. This is not good for your lungs!

WARINGING: Soda Ash is highly caustic, wear gloves and dust mask when handling soda ash. Avoid contact with skin.

Dissolve ground indigo in warm tap water, enough to cover and make a rough paste.

Note: The ground Indigo will float at the top of the vat if just thrown into the water make your paste first. The indigo at this point is not completely dissolved, once introduced to the vat; it will dissolve after a few days in the vat.

Add madder root, bran, and soda ash to the warm water stir well then add indigo paste to the vat. Cover, but not tightly, and apply heat source.

Stir the pot once, or twice, a day during the reduction period with one gentle stir. If you stir the vat too often this will introduce Oxygen into the vat.

Depending on where you live, i.e., temperature and humidity levels, the vat can take anywhere from 5 – 10 days to become viable. By viable I mean ready to dye fibers.

Fermentation vats need to be kept warm while reducing. I keep my vat, a stainless steel pot that is covered with a lid, in my studio oven (gas) where the pilot light is continuously on, about 98 degrees F.

The vat needs to be kept at body temperature during the reduction phase.

If you do not have a dedicated oven, I recommend using either a heating pad, with a temperature control knob, or a high quality fish tank heater with digital temperature controls.

Chopped Madder Root

Wheat Bran

Madder Root added to warm water in bucket. Initially it floats at the top of the water’s surface.

The Bran now added to the vat. The bran floats on top of the madder root until they have been sufficiently stirred together, eventually sinking to the bottom of the vat.

Soda Ash has now been added to the vat. The vat has a foamy look from the bubbling action of the soda ash. The mixture has been blended, to ensure that the soda ash does not solidify on the bottom of the bucket.

WARNING: Always add your acids and bases to water, never the other way around! Doing so can result in harmful reactions that can cause injury.

Natural Indigo added to the vat. The Madder and Bran are still floating at or near the waters surface. The indigo while made into a paste, does not want to dissolve in the water as you can see from the globs hanging on the sides of the bucket.

Indigo Dyeing Safety Instructions

Indigo Vat Safety Instructions

DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE OR EYES WHEN HANDLING LYE, SODA ASH, THIOX, OR ANY CHEMICAL!!!

Lye Handling Instructions
NEVER add water to Lye (Sodium hydroxide). You will create a dangerous reaction doing so. ALWAYS add your Lye (Sodium hydroxide) to “cold” water.

Once the Lye is added to the “cold” water the water will become very hot from the chemical reaction! This reaction will cause your utensils and vat container to become hot. Have hot pads or insulated gloves for handling hot equipment.

Make sure that your container can withstand high temperatures.

Read safety instructions that came with your Lye (Sodium hydroxide).

Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) is dangerous! Extreme caution must be used when handling lye (Sodium hydroxide). Lye (Sodium hydroxide) will cause serious burns to the skin, eyes and mucous membranes.

A respirator is required when handling lye(Sodium hydroxide) products as inhalation of the fumes can cause serious burns to the nose and mouth (mucous membranes)

Wear protective gloves, such as latex or nitrile gloves, when handling lye (Sodium hydroxide). Lye (Sodium hydroxide) can cause serious burns to the skin, especially if your skin is moist! The lye (Sodium hydroxide) will start reacting with the moisture on your skin immediately, causing serious burns.

NOTE: Make sure that your gloves are proper fitting, and not too lose, as an ill fitted glove can lead to accidents.

Wear safety goggles/glasses when handling lye (Sodium hydroxide)! This is to prevent any of the lye liquid/fumes from entering the eyes.

NOTE: Do not touch your face, eyes, or ears when handling lye (Sodium hydroxide) products!

Wash your hands thoroughly for five minutes, and upper arms, after working with lye (Sodium hydroxide). You want to make sure that your hands are completely free of chemical before touching any other parts of your body to prevent burns.

Do NOT use with aluminum or cheap stainless steel containers or utensils. Do NOT put lye into an a cast iron pot!

FIRST AID: wash burned area with cool water for 15-20 minutes. Call or seek emergency help for burns. Seek medical attention immediately.

If swallowed seek medical attention immediately. Do NOT induce vomiting!!!

Keep Lye (Sodium hydroxide) away from children and small pets.

IF a spill should occur sweep of lye and dispose of down the sink drain with copious amounts of cold water.

This ALSO applies to Thiox, Indigo extract, Soda Ash or any mordant, assist, or chemical when you are working in the studio.

Thiox will burn your skin wash immediately with water.

Work in a well ventilated area, I prefer to work out of doors with the wind blowing away from me.

Wear a respirator when working with Natural Dye Extracts, Mordants, and Dye Assists

DO NOT PUT WATER INTO YOUR THIOX POWDER AS THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS CREATING A TOXIC CLOUD OF GAS!!!

Rather using a studio dedicated teaspoon place your thiox into the indigo vat.

Indigo Dyeing using a Lye or Soda Ash vat

Dye Materials Needed

1 ounce Indigo extract or Indigo chunks
1 cup Soda Ash or Lye (I HIGLY recommend using Soda Ash NOT Lye~!)
2 Tablespoons Thiourea dioxide or Thiox
Water

Equipment needed:

Respirator – you only get one set of lungs! Wear a respirator when handling dye powders, mordants, and dye assists~!
Gloves – wear heavy duty kitchen or dyeing gloves when handling the indigo ingredients (See safety Instructions Below)
Stock Pot 18 quarts or bigger, can be Stainless Steel or Enamel the indigo vat will react with aluminum so I don’t recommend using aluminum pots for creating the vat.
Scale for weighing dyes and chemicals – again studio dedicated!
Measuring spoons, measuring cups, wisk for stirring
Jar – wide mouth pint jar for making indigo paste
Spoon, studio dedicated, for stirring the vat
Tongs for retrieving your fabrics, fibers, etc.
Lingerie bag for small items you wish to find in the vat again the bag makes them easier to retrieve
Water for your vat, rinsing, and for oxidizing
Vinegar – helps to restore the pH balance of wool and silk fibers/fabrics
pH papers/strips for testing the pH of your vat.
Heat source
Clothesline for hanging fabrics onto to help fabric oxidize faster.




Natural Indigo Chemical Reduction Mini-Vat Instructions:

1. READ Safety Instructions before Beginning the Indigo Vat!

2. Fill your vat container with water you don’t need to heat the vat at this point. ALLOW TO SIT OVERNIGHT, doing this allows the oxygen to dissipate from the vat.

3. Place 1 ounce Natural Indigo powder (if you are working with hard chunk indigo it will have to be ground down first) into a suitable container.

4. Add just enough hot water until you get a paste – preferably lump free (I use a dedicated wide mouth pint jar for this solution.

5. Add soda ash or lye to the vat water - NEVER add water to your soda ash or lye ALWAYS add the soda ash or lye to the water!!!


6. Slowly add the indigo paste to the vat solution

7. Stir to dissolve NOTE this may take quite a bit of stirring, heating the vat at this point also helps with dissolving the paste faster.

8. Next add thiox to the vat solution stir very little so as to avoid adding Oxygen to the vat.

9. DO NOT BOIL YOUR VAT as this will cause bubble formation and will introduce Oxygen into the vat.

10. REMOVE HEAT after 30 minutes

11. Cover vat and allow to sit until reduction is complete.

12. Reduction is complete when your vat turns a yellow to yellowish pea green color.

13. If your vat is still blue after 24 hours then you have too much Oxygen in your vat add thiox to the vat in small increments, a few grains of thiox at a time, to further reduce the vat.

14. If you reduce the vat too far then gently stir the vat with one or two swirls of the spoon and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

15. You will need to test the pH of the vat to see if the pH is correct

16. pH should be 10.0 – 11.5
· cottons 11.0-11.5
· wool and silk 10.5-11.0 preferably closer to 10.5

17. Adjust pH by adding small amounts, half teaspoon at a time, of soda ash to your vat, even is you created a lye vat do NOT add more lye to the vat at this point.

Solar Dyeing

I started by placing an ounce of dye materials into a clean quart jar (old spagetti sauce jars)

Filled the jars with vodka or everclear until the dye materials are covered, placed lid on jar and allowed to sit overnight.

Placed alum mordanted silk fat quarters into each jar, filled with distilled water, placed lid back onto jar and placed the jars in a sunny location. Here you can see the dye liquid wick up the fabric.

Leave in sun for up to three weeks, check to make sure that mold isn't growing on your fabrics. 2004

How to Scour Cotton Cloth

Scouring Fabric

Kimberly Baxter Packwood © 2001

When working with any mordant or dye powder always wear a respirator with fresh filters.

NOTE: Any dyeing equipment used in natural dyeing, should never ever be used or reused for the preparation, storage or cooking of food or beverages.

What Scouring Does:

Scouring fabric is easy and will ensure excellent dye uptake every time.

Scouring is a two step process, both steps must be followed if you wish to acquire the greatest depth of color.

Scouring fabric removes the grease, dust, dirt and grime that fabrics encountered during the manufacturing process and transit.

How to Scour Your Fabric:

Simply wash your fabric, this includes PFD fabric, in the washing machine in hot water with Soda Ash. Do not add any fabric softeners to the wash. If you must dry your fabric do so without any fabric softener sheets
NOTE: Fabric softeners interfere with both natural and synthetic dye uptake.
Using an large enamel or stainless steel pot, fill the pot at least half full and place one ounce of soda ash into the pot per pound of cotton or linen fabric/fiber.
Place fabric into water, swish it around using a stainless steel spoon.

Bring water to a boil!!!

Adjust heat to a low boil/hard simmer and allow to boil for two hours. stir the fabric every 15 minutes or so t make sure that the fabric is being adequately scoured

After two hours remove from heat source, allow fabric to cool down until the fabric is at room temperature.

Remove the fabric from the water and rinse.

NOTE: If the water is brown or grey replace the water & soda ash mixture with fresh water and soda ash and re-scour the fabric, it is not clean yet. repeat this process until the fabric rinses clean and the scour water is only mildly dirty.

Your fabric is now ready to be Mordanted & Dyed!

Why Should I Scour PFD Cotton Fabric

Once again it is time to point out the importance of proper fabric preparation when dyeing with natural dyes. I don't say this to be rude but rather to save you much time, effort, and disappointment when dyeing cotton with natural dyes.

Q. Do I have to scour my PFD, Prepared for Dyeing, Fabrics?

A. YES you must scour PFD fabric before mordnating and dyeing with natural dyes, I go as far as even washing BEFORE I scour my fabric to ensure that the dressing oils, all fabrics receive these it's to keep the dust down when the fabric is rolled onto bolts, tubes, etc.. I have scouring instructions on my website and video on youtube. The scouring process is so very important with cellulosic fibers as it helps to force the fibers open before the mordanting and dyeing steps. Scouring ensures that your fabric will hold maximum natural dye molecules and helps to achieve truer colors.

Q. is your water hard or treated? Water quality is very important regarding the final dye color out come. Hard water tends to supress most dye molecules (exception is weld it becomes more intense).

Q. Which plants do you plan to dye with? Some plants do not yield permanent color so it is important to know this before you start a project, as depending on your plans for the fabric you may not be able to over dye at a later date if your colors fade.

NOTE: Also cotton fabrics don't take certain natural dye colors no matter what you do to the fabric but silk and wool fabrics will suck the color up like no tomorrow.

Scouring PFD Cotton Fabric

Once again it is time to point out the importance of proper fabric preparation when dyeing with natural dyes. I don't say this to be rude but rather to save you much time and effort when dyeing cotton with natural dyes.

Q. Do I have to scour my PFD, Prepared for Dyeing, Fabrics?

A. YES you must scour PFD fabric before mordnating and dyeing with natural dyes, I go as far as even washing BEFORE I scour my fabric to ensure that the dressing oils, all fabrics receive these it's to keep the dust down when the fabric is rolled onto bolts, tubes, etc.. I have scouring instructions on my website and video on youtube. The scouring process is so very important with cellulosic fibers as it helps to force the fibers open before the mordanting and dyeing steps. Scouring ensures that your fabric will hold maximum natural dye molecules and helps to achieve truer colors.

Q. is your water hard or treated? Water quality is very important regarding the final dye color out come. Hard water tends to supress most dye molecules (exception is weld it becomes more intense).

Q. Which plants do you plan to dye with? Some plants do not yield permanent color so it is important to know this before you start a project, as depending on your plans for the fabric you may not be able to over dye at a later date if your colors fade.

NOTE: Also cotton fabrics don't take certain natural dye colors no matter what you do to the fabric but silk and wool fabrics will suck the color up like no tomorrow.

Dyeing with Instant Indigo

There are a mutlitude of ways to set up an indigo vat, my personal preference is for instant indigo ;-) That being said...

CAUTION: Wear Gloves, Dust Mask and/or Respirator, and protective eye wear, when Handling Instant Indigo it is caustic.

To use Instant Indigo, a naturally reduced indigo vat that has been flash frozen, add 1 Tablespoon of Instant Indigo to 4 gallons very hot tap water.

Use a plastic bucket, or a non-food use studio dedicated stainless steel or enamel pot for dyeing.

After placing instant indigo into the hot water do NOT stir as this will introduce air into the vat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, this allows the crystals enough time to dissolve.

Then add your fabric or fiber to the vat allow to sit 5-15 minutes.

Using tongs, remove your fabric or fiber from the vat very quickly.

Do NOT allow liquid from yarn or fabric to drip back into the vat as this will introduce air into the vat.

Allow fabric to oxidize by hanging it up flat so it will receive air on all sides., your fabric may be greenish when you remove it from the vat. I allow my fabric to hang for 15 minutes or so others state that the fabric must oxidize for 24 hours before going back into the vat!

Rinse fabric thoroughly.

Dip your fabric, into the Instant Indigo vat again, repeating process as above until you acquire the color depth desired.

Indigo yields it’s best colors through multiple dips and appropriate oxidation.

Neutralize your fabric or fibers using vinegar. 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon water is sufficient.

Wash fabrics and fibers with a mild soap in the usual manner.

Madder Root

Fresh Madder Root from my best friends green house - picture and roots courtsey of Karen Hartshorn!

Dried Madder Root - picture and roots courtsey of me!

YES there is a discernable difference in the color and the intensity of the colors you get when using fresh or dried madder root! If you can get fresh roots that is the best way to go, much better reds. The lightfastness and washfastness will be the same but the overall intensities will be different.

Dye Instructions

I think it should go without saying that the instructions on this blog are mine, I wrote them so if you use them please ask for permission first so I know who is using them. Thank you!!! - Kimberly

Madder Root - Cold Water Soak

Materials List:
8 oz to 1 # of whole Madder Root
4-5 Gallon Bucket
Fish Tank Heater
Water
½ pound of fibers of your choice (If using fabrics cut the fabric up into 3 inch or less sized squares so you will have samples for every day)

NOTE: If your dyeing both silk and cotton samples the silk will hoard most of the color from the cotton fabrics. For the first time using this method I recommend sticking to one type of fiber only – silk and wool fabrics are great candidates for the first dye trial.


This method is a variation of the method that Nest Rubio wrote about in Spin-Off Magazine (Spring 1993). When done properly you will get a nice range of values with this method.

Break your madder root into smallish pieces ¼” to ½” inch in length.
Cover in water and soak overnight.
Rinse Madder Root the next day.
You can save the rinse water and use it with other yellowish yielding dyes if desired.

The reason for rinsing the madder root, if it is dried madder root not fresh, is to remove any of the yellow dye that is present in the root. Leaving the yellow rinse water will give you dyes more towards the orange/yellow end of the spectrum. Rinsing the madder root after the initial soak will give you deeper truer reds.

NOTE: In this method you do not grind the roots. Grinding the roots releases all of their color immediately, and for this fermentation method you want a slow release of color so in order to have color gradations over a period of days, rather than using all of the color at once.

NOTE: Pre-mordant you fibers before inserting them into the dye vat, this is one time where an all-in-one vat does NOT work well.

NOTE: if you are dyeing cotton or other cellulosic fibers you will want to use the triple mordant method on those fibers. That method being the Alum – Tannin – Alum method.


MOLD: Preventing mold from forming on the vat surface is crucial, mold, its spores and mycelium will turn the red color brown and very quickly. I have found that by simply keeping a fish tank heater in the vat prevents the mold from forming in the first place.

Temperature: It is critical that the vat does NOT come to a boil, EVER! Boiling madder root will cause the browns to be released from the root, ruining the vat. (Yes you can use this brown to dye with, but it will not yield reds).

Keeping careful notes on the date and time you entered the fiber into the dye vat and the date and time you removed the fibers from the dye vat, will allow you to repeat the process.

Now this is what I DO:

Place your rinsed madder root into the bucket, and cover with very hot water, but not boiling. I use my hottest tap water for this procedure.

Place the fish tank heater into the bucket, and leave it set on a medium heat setting. You are shooting for around 85-90 degrees fareinheight.

Place your pre-mordant fibers into the vat with the madder root.

NOTE: That the madder root has been left in the vat with the fibers, I typically work with cotton fabrics, and any mottling and patterning that ends up on the fabric is highly desired.

If you are wanting more solid fibers/fabrics then you will need to stir the vat each day to ensure even color. Make sure that all of the fiber remains below the waters surface, for even color.

Also having a divider between the madder root and the fiber, such as a glass dinner plate, is critical. This prevents the fibers from touching the roots, thus preventing dark spots from occurring on the roots.

After I have entered my fiber into my dye vat I typically leave it for 24 to 48 hours, depending on what the dye vat looked like before I put the fibers in it.

Usually around day two or three, about 48-72 hours, and I try to remove my fibers around the same hour of the day that I placed them into the vat, I will remove one or two samples from the vat. DO NOT RINSE the fibers.

Place these samples in a bowl or other vessel where they can sit overnight, unrinsed. This is part of the batching process.

The next day I rinse those fibers and hang them up to dry somewhere, out of the sunlight.

I then check the fibers in my vat to see if the remaining fibers are any darker than the previous days. If not I may check on them again in 12 hours and again at 24 hours.

I remove the samples as they become progressively darker, creating a value scale. The value you range you achieve depends on the fibers you chose, the amount of fibers you use, and the amount of madder root to fiber you have used.

You will have a larger value range with silk or wool versus cotton fabrics, and other limiting factors such as water quality and the age/freshness of the madder root.

I typically exhaust the vat after two weeks, using cotton fabrics/fibers.

Using Nest Rubio’s method with wool, and very small wool samples as she suggests, you should exhaust the vat in 30 days. http://www.rugreview.com/13-3nest.htm

NOTE: I did not add any chalk or cream of tartar to the vat, they are not required in the fermentation process, unless your water dictates such additions to correct the pH of the vat.

You can however, do comparison vats one without any modifiers (this is any agent that shifts the pH of the vat), to one vat with just madder root and chalk, and another vat with madder root and cream of tartar, and compare this to the vat samples with no modifier.

Madd About Madder Root

Photo of Madder Root Courtesy of Karen Hartshorn

8 oz to 1 # of whole Madder Root
4-5 Gallon Bucket
Water

Break your madder root into smallish pieces ¼” to ½” inch in length.
Cover in water and soak overnight.
Rinse Madder Root the next day.
You can save the rinse water and use it with other yellowish yielding dyes if desired.

The reason you rinse the madder root, if it is dried madder root not fresh, is to remove any of the yellow dye that is present in the root. Leaving the yellow rinse water will give you dyes more towards the orange/yellow end of the spectrum. Rinsing the madder root after the initial soak will give you deeper truer reds.

Dyeing with Onion Skins

Cover Onion Skins, half pounds worth if you can get them, with water.

Bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes and then allow to sit overnight - doing this allows the dye molecules to leach from the onion skins.

Next day bring to a simmer and let simmer for about an hour before adding pre-mordant fabrics, fibers, etc.

Allow the fibers to simmer for an hour do NOT bring to a boil as this will bring out the browns in the dye molecules and you don't want that.

Shut off the heat leaving the fabircs in the dye bath.

Allow the dyebath and fabric to sit overnight.

This has yeilded the best color to date that has been quite lightfast.

YouTube Videos

I'm not sure what happened to my YouTube Videos!

Screen Printing with Natural Dyes Part two

Screen Printing with Natural Dyes

Making Gum Tragacanth Binder

Block Printing with Indigo

Indigo Rusted Silk Organza

Indigo dyed rusted silk organza fabric

To increase depth of color, texture, and over all interest apply tannic acid to your pieces while they are rusting. The simplist source for tannin is tea, however, tannic acids in the form of quebracho's give richer colors and depth. Immerse in a solution of soda ash and water for even deeper patterning.Note however that each step reduces the archivalness of your piece.

Happy Rusting

Compost Dyed Silk Fabric

Cochineal

Dried whole cochineal bugs.

Cochineal extraction vat day six.

Dyeing with Cochineal

Copyright Kimberly Baxter Packwood 2001

You can perform multiple dye extractions with cochineal bugs to obtain a concentrated dye bath.

Day One: I used two ounces of the bugs, cover them in water, then heat them to near boiling. I then turn off the heat and let them sit overnight, in the same pan. (one these days I need to buy another one of these pans as it is my favorite).

Day two I strain the bugs in a hand held sieve, into a much bigger stainless steel pan (about 8 quarts I guess).

I then place the bugs back into my smaller pan, cover with water and reheat them to near boiling. I then turn off the heat and let them sit overnight.

The next day I strain them again, placing the dye liquor into the previous days extraction. I repeat this process upwards of 20 times.

NOTE: You will need to heat the dye liquor every few days or so to prevent mold from forming on the dye extractant. When you are done it will be blackish in color.

This dye liquor is a super concentrated cochineal dye bath.When you are ready to dye just remove a smallish amount, about one quarters cup worth, from the dye liquor and place it into your dye bath water.

NOTE: If it's still blackish just add a smidge of Alum and it'll redden right up. I do this all of the time.

This is an excellent way to get the biggest bang for your dye resources. I do this all of the time with cochineal and other dye materials. Most dye materials lend themselves to only one or two extractions, beyond the original dye extraction.

Copyright Kimberly Baxter Packwood 2001

Glorious Red

Visit the Natural Surface

Visit The Natural Surface

Reds

Dyeing With Onion Skins

Fall is an excellent time to dye with onion skins as Onions are being harvested now!

Materials List:

Wool
Onion Skins

Alum

Stainless Steel Pot

Water

Heat Source

You will need to mordant your wool with Alum first to ensure that your color is permanent.

Onion Skin Dye Bath

• Take onion skins and place in stainless steel pot, make sure this is a studio dedicated pot, and cover with hot or boiling water.
  
• Allow to sit overnight.


• The next day bring dye pot to a simmer and leave for one hour.


• Remove onion skins if desired - leaving them will create a mottled yarn or fabric.


• Place wet rinsed mordanted wool into dye bath and simmer for two hours.


• If using the cold dyeing method leave wool overnight in the dye bath.


• Remove wool from dye bath, rinse snd dry


• NOTE: wool may have a slight onion smell this is normal with natural dyed goods.
  

Your wool is now ready to use!