How Did Early Settlers Dye Fabric?

Did you know that a great source for natural dyes can be found right in your own back yard from roots, nuts, flowers and fruit?

Early settlers had to weave their own fabric as well as sew and dye most of their own clothes.

The most common dyes available to them were the colors found in nature.

Yarn drying after being dyed in the early American tradition

Before 1785 when machines (the power loom) started to make fabric all fabrics were hand woven

People think you can just dip a piece of fabric in dye and it will hold the color.

This only works with dyes made from berries and tree bark.

How do you bind the dye to fabric? Fabric actually needs a Mordant to bind

the color to the fabric. Some examples are: vinegar, salt, cream

of tartar or soda. Brass pots gave brighter colors than iron

pots Mordents can determine the tint of a

color (how dark or light it is) First dyes were made from insects,

shellfish, plants

How Do You Make Plant Dyes? Gather plant material for dyeing:

Blossoms should be in full bloom Berries ripe and nuts mature

To make the dye solution: Chop plant into small pieces and place in a pot.

Double the amount of water to plant material.

1 cup of flowers= 2 cups of water

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour.

Strain. Now you can add your fabric to be dyed.

Getting the fabric ready for the dye bath: Muslin, silk, cotton and wool You will have to soak the fabric

in a color fixative(mordant) before the dye process.

This will make the color set in the fabric.

Color Fixatives: Salt Fixative (for berry dyes) 1/2

cup salt to 8 cups cold water

Plant Fixatives (for plant dyes) 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar

-4 cups of water for 1 cup of vinegar

Then…

Add fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour.

Rinse the material and squeeze out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear.

Dye Bath: Place wet fabric in dye Leave until you have the color you want

Wash in cold water

Let Fabric Dry! Lay fabric out on newspaper

What Colors Can You Make From

Different Plants?

Green

Onion Skins Butternut

Squash Carrot (roots)

Yellow

Spinach Artichokes Grass Peach Leaves Black eyes

Susan

Red

Red Cabbage Mulberries Cherry (roots) Blackberries Blueberries Grapes Inner bark of a red

maple tree

Purple Dandelion (root) Beets Bark of a crab

apple tree

Brown

Coffee Tea Dandelions Walnut (shells) Acorns Oak bark

Black

Iris (roots) Sumac (leaves)