You want to know if a common plant is a good natural dye. How do you tell? There are three criteria which a natural dye needs to have to be considered worthwhile: ease of use and gathering, wash ... Read More about Colourfast natural dyes: how to test any natural dye for fastness
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Woad Part 3: Dyeing with Woad
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy a product we may earn a commission. Thanks. ************The indigo achieved from woad is molecularly identical to that achieved from tropical indigo. However, the colour achieved is lighter, and more variable in woad than in tropical indigo. Dying ... Read More about Woad Part 3: Dyeing with Woad
Indigo Chemisty: why indigo is a different dye
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy a product we may earn a commission. Thanks. ************“There are many yellows which come from plants. There are many reds which come from plants and insects. But, there is only one blue, indigo” (Maiwa – Indigo a World of Blue DVD) Unique Structure of ... Read More about Indigo Chemisty: why indigo is a different dye
Fugitive Natural Dyes: Top Five Plants to Never Use for Natural Dyes
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy a product we may earn a commission. Thanks. ************Many people say that they never use natural dyes since they are fugitive and don’t last. Well, it depends entirely on what natural dyes you are using. Some natural dye plants advocated by people for ... Read More about Fugitive Natural Dyes: Top Five Plants to Never Use for Natural Dyes
Woad Part Two: Time to Get Indigo
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy a product we may earn a commission. Thanks. ************The extraction method for indigo is different from that used for other, water soluble, natural dyes. Indigo is insoluble in water. It is necessary to reduce indigo before dying with it. This ... Read More about Woad Part Two: Time to Get Indigo
Woad Part 1: When to Harvest
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and buy a product we may earn a commission. Thanks. ************When growing natural dye plants the hardest part is remembering when to harvest. Some plants reach a peak in colour and then degrade. Other plants stop growing, and need to be harvested to continue ... Read More about Woad Part 1: When to Harvest