General Information about Dyeing

First of all, here are the-things you need for dyeing:

1. Scales to weigh plant parts, material to be dyed, mordants, etc. Large postal scales (reading up to 5 pounds) are good for this purpose.
2. A copper, stainless steel, or enamelware kettle or pot large enough comfortably to hold 4 to 5 gallons of liquid and the material to be dyed. An Iron pot can be used for dark colours.
3. Measuring cups and utensils for measuring from % oz. to 1 qt. of liquid.
4. A cooking thermometer.
5. Class or wooden stirring rods (woodga used for only one colour each).
6. Plastic spoons for handling mordants.
7. Soft water (rain water is best). Hard water can be softened by adding acetic acid or vinegar; a neutral reaction on litmus paper indicates softhess.
8. Rinse buckets.

As for mordants, these are the most common ones, which axe usually available at drug stores or even grocery stores:

• Acetic acid (or vinegar, which contains acetic acid)
• Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate). The most commonly used mordant
• Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide)
• Blue vitriol (copper sulfate)
• Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) Chrome, in two main forms:
• Bichromate of potash (potassium dichromate)
• Biehromate of soda (sodium dichromate)
• Copperas, or green vitriol (ferrous sulfate)
• Cream of tartar, or potassium acid tartrate (potassium bitartrate)
• Lime (calcium oxide) Tannic acid Tartaric acid
• Tin (stannous chloride)

Directions for mordanting and dyeing vary considerably, depending on the dye source, the material to be dyed, the mordant involved, and the shade or colour desired. Detailed instructions and recipes are available in books on dyeing (see the Bibliography and check your library). Only a general description, and typical directions will be given here.

The raw animal fibres wool and silk have a greasy or waxy coating which must first be removed--the wool by washing (perhaps repeatedly) with a mild soap and rinsing; the silk by boiling with soap. The vegetables fibres cotton and flax do not need washing (unless, or course, they have accumulated greases), but their mordenting is longer and more complicated.

In mordenting the clean material is simmered (wool), boiled (cotton, linen), or soaked in hot water (silk) in which the mordanting agents have been dissolved. After a prescribed time, the material is rinsed and allowed to dry (chrome mordanting, however, is usually followed immediately by dyeing). The dye bath is prepared by soaking the or crushed plant material in water overnight and then boiling until sufficient colour is extracted.

The plant material is then strained out and water added to make 4 to 4½ gal. of lukewarm dye bath, to which a pound (dry weight) of wet yam 5r fabric is added. Wool, cotton, and linen are usually simmered in the dye bath; for silk the temperature must be kept at 160°F or less.

After dyeing and during as long as necessary to get the desired colour, the operator passes the dyed material through a series of rinses, each a little cooler than the previous one, until the rinse water remains clear. After drying, the dyed material is ready to use.

Typical mordanting instructions for one pound of wool (dry weight):

Heat 4 to 4½ gal. of soft water until it is lukewarm.
Add 3 oz. alum and 1 oz. cream of tartar which have first been dissolved in a little hot water.
Immerse wet (but not dripping wet) wool in the water; spread and stir to ensure even coverage.
Heat gradually to boiling and then simmer for an hour, turning the wool occasionally.
When the bath is cool enough to let the wool be handled, remove the wool and squeeze (don't wring) out the excess liquid. Place loosely in a bag or towel and let dry slowly in a cool place.

Typical dyeing instructions for one pound of wool (dry weight)

Crush or chop about 1 peck of leaves, soft stems, or flowers, or about 1 lb. of hard materials such as bark or wood; soak overnight in enough soft water to cover.
The next day, boil for 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how readily the colour is extracted.
Strain out the plant matter and add water to make 4 to 4½ gall of dye.
After beating the dye bath to lukewarm, add the mordanted wool, which has first been wetted in lukewarm water.
Move the wool back and forth and lift it in and out of the dye for even coverage.
Heat the dye to boiling and simmer for 30 minutes or more.
When the colour is right, rinse the wool in buckets of successively cooler water until the rinse water remains clear.
Squeeze out the excess water, roll the wool in absorbent cloth, and hang it up in a shady place to dry.

Useful Tips

There is always a risk that the material will not take the dye. Some attempts are bound to be more successful than others. For instance, a self-coloured material will probably take dye more evenly than a figured cretonne, though if the latter is very faded and is well boiled first to make the colour as even and indistinct as possible, it will, perhaps, take dye quite well. If, on the other hand, you have a figured material in which you wish to retain the design, it will be worth while dyeing it without a preliminary boiling; and should the result be unsatisfactory, you can simply re-dye, or boil and then re-dye the article.

Cotton and linen articles generally will take dye well - e.g., casement curtains; cushion covers, bed coverings and hangings, table cloths, lace upholstery, furniture covers, etc.

Many more risks must be taken in dealing with silk materials. Woollen materials or mixtures often turn out quite well, but if boiled the soft finish of the material suffers to a certain extent, though not enough to spoil it. Materials which are not pure silk or all wool, but mixtures, should be treated as if they were real silk or all wool.

There are innumerable dyes on the market. Broadly speaking, they may be grouped into two kinds : (1) those which require boiling and are suitable for cotton and linen materials, and (2) those which are not boiled and are suitable for silk or woollen materials.

Most dyes tend to stain the utensils in which they are put. It is wisest, therefore, to use old pans and kitchen spoons, or a wooden stick. You cannot be too careful to avoid splashing the dye on tables, wall, floor, etc., during the process. A free use of newspapers, and the immediate application of a damp cloth to remove a spill-should one occur is most necessary.

General Rules.- It is only possible to give general hints here, as the particular directions vary according to the dye used. As, however, these are always given very lucidly with every packet of dye sold, there should be no difficulty, provided the directions are followed carefully.

(1) If possible, experiment first on a small piece of material like the article to be treated.
(2) Never attempt to dye anything a lighter shade than the original tone.
(3) It is essential that all the material should be well covered, with plenty of room in the utensil to stir the article about, permitting free access of the liquid to all portions during the process.
(4) Stir the material about very frequently during boiling or soaking, to ensure even dyeing.
(5) Rinse thoroughly-until all the loose dye is removed. Do not be afraid lest you should remove all the new colour. Loose dye left in the article will probably give a patchy appearance and tend to come out when worn or used, and it may stain other things. Rinse any article in cold water until the last water is absolutely clear and free from dye.
(6) If drying out of doors, do not hang in strong sunlight, and peg on a portion of the article which will not be seen when in use, as the pegs sometimes leave a mark.