Earthues Getting Deeper Color

Earthues Hints and Tips:
Getting Deeper Colors
Richer color from natural dyes doesn't always mean using more dyestuff. Often, by
following a few simple procedures you can maximize the color yield from the dyes you
use. The following are a few techniques we use to get the deepest colors from our
extracts.

Hint #1 Start with clean fiber

Dyes will strike a clean, well-prepared fiber better than one that is oily, dusty or just
plain soiled. Always make sure your fiber is as clean as you can get it. Some dyers
also advise a light wash for RTD (ready to dye) fabrics to yield better results.

Hint #2 Know your water

Mineral rich or hard water can interfere with the bonding of the dye molecules to the
fiber. It really helps to check out the quality of your water source before dyeing. You
can contact your municipal water supplier and find out the amount of minerals and salts
in your local water. You can use distilled or purchased water if you are dyeing with a pH
and mineral sensitive dye, such as cochineal. On the other hand, madder has an
affinity for calcium-rich water, so you may find a happy compromise between the two
red dyes based on your water's mineral content.

Hint #3 Mordant, then dye

Many dyers like to add their mordant and their dye simultaneously to the same dyepot.
We agree that this is convenient, but feel that one can sacrifice color intensity with this
method. We consistently get darker shades when we mordant our fiber first, rinse and
extract the excess water, and then add the fiber to a dyepot that has the dye dissolved
in it. This method allows the dye molecules to bond with the alum mordant that is
attached to the fiber, rather than the alum in the water.

Hint #4 Know the strike characteristics of your dyes

Some natural dyes strike (attach to the fiber) quickly, and some require more time to bloom to their full color potential.
As you become more experienced in dyeing, you will see how the dye attaches to the fiber - does it strike quickly, or
take a couple of hours? What happens if you start with hot water vs. cold? Do you boil, or do you use a lower
temperature to coax the color out? Keep careful notes of your dyeing methods and samples, and you will begin to
recognize the qualities of your dyes and their behavior in the dyepot. In our studies, we find that osage strikes very
quickly, cutch much more slowly. Cochineal needs to be brought to temperature and also allowed to cool down for the
full color to bloom. Madder takes a lower temperature and loves an overnight steep (or longer) to yield its richest hue.