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18th Century Dyes
This web page started out as a question: did anyone dye linen red in the 18th century? We know they dyed woolens and silk fabrics red, but the evidence for red linen was sparse. It eventually turned out (thanks to some digging by a fellow reenactor) that there is a little evidence for linen being dyed red, but it doesn’t seem to have been as common as some other colors. On the other hand, one finds plentiful references to cotton, wool and silk being dyed red. Most modern people’s experience with natural dyes is of a home-made, occasionally blotchy or spotty, uneven product. In the 18th century, dyers were professionals – they…
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Dye Books
Recommended Reading (compiled from suggestions — send yours in!): Adrosko, Rita J.: Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing. Dover Publications, 1971. ISBN 0-486-22688-3. Bliss, Anne: North American Dye Plants. Interweave Press, 1993. ISBN 0-934026-89-0. Bolton, Eileen M.: Lichens for Vegetable Dyeing. ISBN 1-56659-001-9. Buchanan, Rita: A Dyer’s Garden. Interweave Press, 1995. ISBN 1-883010-07-1. Buchanan, Rita: A Weaver’s Garden. Interweave Press, 1987. ISBN 0-934026-28-9. Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Dye Plants and Dyeing. 1964. Cameron: Woad. Casselman, Karen Diadick: Lichen Dyes A Source Book, 1996, ISBN 0-9681021-0-7 (Studio Vista Publications, 2018 New Cheverie Road, Cheverie, Nova Scotia, Canada B0N 1G0) Ciba Review: 1- Medieval Dyeing; 10 – Trade Routes and Dye Markets in the Middle Ages; 57 – Medieval Dress. Duke, Dee and Rowena Edlin-White: The Medieval…
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Dye Recipes
Indigo Hydrosulfite Dyebath For 1 lb. Linen or Cotton, or 2 lb. Wool ¾ tsp. synthetic indigo (if using natural indigo, use double — 1-1/2 tsp. indigo) 1 tsp. sodium hydrosulfite (reducing agent) ½ tsp. lye (sodium hydroxide—can use Red Devil lye) Dye vat: we used a five-gallon plastic bucket, with a lid, from the hardware store. Mix above ingredients with a small amount of water. Allow it to sit until the liquid turns yellow. Fill the dyepot with warm water (around 110°) . Sprinkle 1 tsp. sodium hydrosulfite into water to reduce oxygen. Add a small amount of the dye solution (about 1/3 cup) into the…
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Dye Links
Recommended Reading Links:The Art and Science of Dyeing (from Rivendell’s Botany Page) Dyeplant of the Month from Carol Todd Halcyon Yarn Home Page Cold-water madder dye Handweaver’s Guild of America, publishers of Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot Heian-Period Dyes (Japan), by Kass McGann Carol Leigh’s HILLCREEK FIBER STUDIO History of Dyes from 2600 BC to 20th Century Kathryn of the Hills’ Dye Book More on Mushroom Dyes from Berthe Pedersen, in English Natural Dyes & Well-Being From Crafts The Prairie Fibers Company Roman Spinning, Weaving and Textiles Scottish Dyes Sumac Dyes Viking Age Dyestuffs, from Carolyn Priest-Dorman The SCA Natural Dyes List Fungi of the San Francisco Bay Area Places to buy materials Carol Leigh’s HILLCREEK…