Plants to Dye For

Welcome to the official kickoff to this year's theme – plants to dye for! I spent some of my sabbatical studying all about the dyes used to color yarns, fibers, and fabrics. I spent many hours of my youth designing and creating clothing, using all kinds of fabric, and love beautiful textiles. I suppose it is natural that I would be curious about fabric dyes, and the process of dyeing fabric.

Illustrations from Dr. G. H. von Schuberts in Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs
(published before 1923 and public domain in the United States)

The story of dyes is interlocked with human story – discovery, experimentation, migration, trade routes, tariffs, boom and bust economies, innovations, and trade deals. People have been wearing protective clothing for millennium and dyeing fibers since they figured out how to weave or beat fibers into cloth. According to Colors: The Story of Dyes and Pigments (page 19), remnants of fabric dyed with weld have been found in Egypt dating to 6000 BCE (the authors acknowledge the art of dyeing is likely much older, but fiber is very fragile and rarely survives). Fabric dyed with indigo has been found in South America dating to 4000 BCE (see Oldest Know Indigo Dye Found in Peru).

Illustrations from Dr. G. H. von Schuberts in Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs

I delved into the plants used historically to dye fabric, including weld, indigo, woad, madder, cochineal (technically an insect that lives on cactus), lichen, osage, and many others. I learned about the basic process of extracting dye stuff from the plant source, how to prepare fabrics to receive dyes using mordants and fixatives, and how to dye. I was fascinated with the chemistry involved for provoking different colors out of the original dye, sometimes just by changing its alkalinity or acidity.

Illustrations from Dr. G. H. von Schuberts in Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs

Best of all, I tried my hand at dyeing. I pulled together dye equipment, dyes, and cotton dish towels for my experiments. I extracted my own dyes and purchased commercial dyes based on natural sources. I experimented with various fixatives. I was hooked! I found that dyeing is a blend of art and science, and that I had as many successes as failures. Many dyes are now synthesized and mass produced – coloring our world with a fabulous array of shades and tones, both bold and subtle. I'm fine with that. But I also love the wide variety of colors produced by nature. I'm hoping you'll join me in the months ahead to explore the fascinating world of dyeing with plants!

Illustrations from Dr. G. H. von Schuberts in Naturgeschichte des Pflanzenreichs