Activity Center

Colours Obtained using different dyeing materials

Colour

Mordant

Yellow
Straw
Creamish Brown
Greenish
Pinkish Brown
Pinkish
Brilliant Yellow
Redish Brown
Yellow
Red
Red
Orangish
Green

Turmeric
Pomegranate Rind
Ground Coffee Beans
Henna
Tea
Onion Skin
Turmeric + Pomegranate Rind
Maddar + Ratan Jyot
Marigold Flowers
Maddar
Beetroot Juice + Ratan Jyot
Tesu Flower
Spinach

Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum
Alum

Leaf/Petal Skin/Root Bark Fruit/Nut/Seed Sawdust Extract	Marigold/ Gainda, Dahlia flowers, Basil/ Tulsi, Eucalyptus, Cardamom, Henna/ Mehndi, Tea/ Chai, Gulmohar, Flame of the orest, Palash Ke Phool, Tesu Flower, Nag Kesar. Onion, Dried Pomegranate Rind/ Anar Ka Chilka, Maddar/ Manjit Babool, Arjun, Mangrove, Logwood. Myrobalans/Harda, Behda) Betal Nut, Coffee bean. Jackfruit Catechu, Indigo
		top
Dyeing steps for the first 5 categories
STEP – I Weigh the dry fabric and calculate raw material + mineral requirement based on the weight of the cloth. Normally when vegetable material is used to extract colour the more used the darker the colour STEP - II Prepare the mordant or fixer which will give colour fastness. In this case - Dissolve Alum that is equivalent to 20% of the weight of the dry fabric. Alum dissolves easily in hot water. The water should be 20 times more that the weight of the fabric. Enter the fabric into the Alum solution and make sure it soaks in completely. Keep for 30 minutes at least. Now the material is ready for dyeing. STEP - III

Get the vegetable material to yield forth its colour. This is done by adding the raw material to the water and boiling briskly for at least 30 minutes.
The colour should then be allowed to stand overnight or for 24 hours if possible.
It should then be reboiled and when it is cool should be sieved through a fine muslin cloth and set aside.

STEP - IV
	The fabric should then be lifted from the mordant solution that has been prepared using alum (step II) and the water as can should be squeezed out.
STEP - V
	This wet fabric should be put into the dye solution (prepared in Step III) and boiled for 30 minutes or seeped in the dye liquid for 30 minutes. The fabric must be moved continuously with a wooden stick for even colouring.
STEP - VI
	After dyeing lift the material and squeeze out excess dye colour and dry in shade.
		top
Colours Obtained using Alum as the Mordant

Colour
Yellow
Straw
Creamish Brown
Greenish
Pinkish Brown
Pinkish
Brilliant Yellow
Redish Brown
Yellow
Red
Red
Orangish
Green

Plant
Turmeric/ Haldi
Dried Pomegranate Rind/ Anar Ka Chilka
Ground Coffee Beans
Henna/ Mehandi
Tea/Chai
Onion Skin/ Pyaz Ka Chilka
Turmeric + Pomegranate Rind/ Haldi + Anar Ka Chilka
Madder + Ratan Jyot/ Manjith + Ratam Jyot
Marigold Flowers/ Gainda
Madder/ Manjith
Beetroot Juice + Ratan Jyot
Tesu Flower
Spinach

Additional Colours

STEP II-A

Ingredients
100 grams Myrobalan Powder (Harda [50 Gms] + Behda [50 Gms])
10 grams Nag Kesar
10 grams Tej Patta/ Bay leaves
1 litre water

Soak above ingredients in water overnight.
Next morning boil for 20-30 minutes, stirring with wooden stick.
Cool mixture and sieve it.
Soak the fabric in this dye for 15-20 minutes then squeeze out
excess colour and dry in shade.

After this we can use this dyed fabric and move on to Step-III to produce a new variety of colour.

Note:To make it more interesting the fabric can be tied with cord to create a tie-dye pattern.

	Points to remember before starting work with natural Dyes Preliminary steps to be followed while Dyeing fabric with Natural Dye Materials required Natural Dye Materials Dyeing steps Colours obtained using different Dyeing Materials
	Points to remember before starting work with natural Dyes Fabrics like cotton, silk and wool can be used for dyeing with vegetable and mineral material. Synthetic fibres do not accept these natural dyes evenly. WARNING:Do not attempt to use the gas fire without an adult present Always add the fixer (or mordant) to the water and not the water to the fixer (mordant) as this could result in forcing fumes upwards towards the face.
		top
	Preliminary steps to be followed while dyeing fabric with Natural Dye When you start experimenting with natural dyes use cotton fabrics that are inexperience. So that while you are learning you can try different dyes and mordants you can experiment with tying fabric and then using multiple colours. All impurities must be removed from the fabric to be dyed. This can be done by soaking the fabric in hot water with washing soap for a few hours (or over night if possible). The fabric can then be rinsed and dried. If necessary a bit of bleach can be added. When dyeing with vegetable or floral matter it is necessary that the colour remains fixed or adheres to the fabric. This fixer or mordant, as it is called, ensures that the colour remains fast and does not run when it is washed. It in effect glues the colour on to the fabric. There are many mordents available. The most commonly used and easily available at local stores is Alum or Phitkari and this is the mordant we are using here in our experiment. The vessel used for cooking the vegetable material also plays a part in adding colour to the dyeing process. For instance: Copper : Brightens colour Iron : Dulls colour Steel or Terracotta : Neutral effect Aluminium : Brightens colour when used with the Alum mordant The quantity of dye material and fixer to be used is calculated according to the dry weight of the material to be dyed. The quantity is therefore a proportion of the weight and is expressed as a percentage. All fabric must be wet before it is dyed.
		top
	Materials Required Stove Measuring Jug/Scale Vessels for preparing dyes + wooden stirring stick Tongs for lifting fabric Straining cloth for seiving material Washing vessels - buckets
		top
	Natural Dye Material 6 Broad categories of raw material can be used for dyeing fabric. A similar process is used for the first 5 categories. The sixth category requires a completely different process.


*alum*	*anar ka chilka*	*indian madder*	*marigold*

*myrobalen*	*nag kesar*	*onion skin*	*tej patta*

		back
		natural dyeing at home