PLANNING A HOME DYEING PROJECT 



The revision of Home dyeing with natural dyes presented here reports the 

 results of tests on about 65 natural materials used for dyeing cotton and wool 

 cloth. Most of the dyes studied are of vegetable origin. In fact the terms 

 "natural" and "vegetable" dyes are often used interchangeably though a 

 few, such as cochineal, are of animal origin, and iron buff and others 

 are developed from mineral pigments. 



Samples of all the dyes used in these experiments were given standard 

 tests for colorfastness. Many were discarded as unsatisfactory, and recipes 

 are included only for those that produced attractive colors fast to both light 

 and washing. Since the common names of trees and plants differ from place 

 to place, the scientific names are given. The college of agriculture in any 

 state will help in identifying plant materials. In each locality there are 

 many natural dye materials that by one dye method or another will give 

 satisfactory colors. This publication is intended merely as a guide for 

 such work. 



Colorfastness 



A dyer writing ca. 1830 remarked: "As to garments whose colours ai'C 

 changed every year, if the colour preserves its full brightness during the 

 season, it is as much as can be required ..." Most contemporary craftsmen 

 have neither the time nor inclination to exert the effort required to dye 

 textiles unless they can be reasonably sure that their efforts will not be lost 

 within a short time ; thus the fastness or permanence of a dye is an important 

 consideration. 



While fastness is of great concern, the home dyer should be aware that 

 no dye is absolutely fast under all conditions. It may be fast to light, or to 

 perspiration, or to washing, but seldom fast under all three conditions. 

 Futhermore, a dye may be fast on one fiber and not on another ; or it may 

 be fast when dyed by one method and not another. Of all the textile fibers, 

 wool can be dyed most easily, and the resulting colors change the least. 

 Cotton does not combine easily with dyes, and fast colors are produced on 

 it only by complicated processes. 



The need for a particular kind of fastness depends on the nature of the 

 color change and the use to be made of the dyed fabric. For example, a 

 fabric dyed brown with tree bark may darken on exposure to light. While 

 this color change might be satisfactory in a hooked rug, it would be un- 

 acceptable in window draperies. 



To make sure that these recipes produce colors permanent enough to be 

 useful for most purposes, the dyed fabrics were tested for their fastness to 

 light and washing. The results are included in the dye recipes. 



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