I have a question about natural dyes.

[conuly]

I want to dye some cloth soon. (And why do people insist on saying fabric? Is there a subtle difference that I don't know about, so cloth just isn't good enough?)

I want to use natural dyes, if possible.

Well, summer's over (don't give me that equinox bit, you know my opinions on that!), it's rainy, and I don't want to wander the streets of NYC looking for plants to use to dye with, so I want to use natural dyes from plants and such that I can buy at a supermarket.

Other than onion skins, coffee, and tea, I mean.

Any ideas? With colors, amabo te.

Comments

[bekijane.livejournal.com]

*digs through bookmarks*

Ah yes - blackberry. And good general info on natural dyes here;

http://www.tahlia.org/blogger/postpics/dye/blackberrydye.htm

[conuly]

Not so much. Blackberry is expensive. Now, our neighbors up on St. Pauls still had their blackberries running wild into the street....

[bekijane.livejournal.com]

That's a shame - I've got wild blackberries all round me here. I forget other people are restricted to towns. Sorry.

[conuly]

That's all right. I love blackberries, and am profoundly jealous of you.

(Not as much as I love mulberries, though. I'm considering buying some mulberry seeds and clandestinely scattering them in my favorite "pretty much unlandscaped" parks where there already *are* mulberries.)

[failstoexist.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but a great place to ask is the dyeingfiber community. It's a lot about yarn, but they know about all sorts of things. there have been some recent-ish posts about natural dyes, and if you ask they will definitely have some good ideas.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

I did consult my sources... ah... wander through the SCA website.

A list of plant dyes used in the middle ages:
http://www.florilegium.org/files/TEXTILES/dye-list-art.html

A page of links to medieval natural dyes:
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=1225

And another page of links to actual dye recipies (medieval again):
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=1224


These will generally all be dyes available in Europe in the middle ages but you mind find a few things there that you can get hold of.

*grin*

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

In terms of meaning, cloth and fabric are the same thing, I think. But I know that down where I grew up, cloth was something relatively unfinished (like homespun, or something undyed or un-patterned), whereas fabric was more finished, and ready to be made into a garment.

It's probably just a regional thing.

As for dyes, I'd say kool-aid, but I know you're looking for natural, so. XD

What about sweet potatoes? I think I remember you can get a red dye from them.

[bekijane.livejournal.com]

*digs through bookmarks*

Ah yes - blackberry. And good general info on natural dyes here;

http://www.tahlia.org/blogger/postpics/dye/blackberrydye.htm

[conuly]

Not so much. Blackberry is expensive. Now, our neighbors up on St. Pauls still had their blackberries running wild into the street....

[bekijane.livejournal.com]

That's a shame - I've got wild blackberries all round me here. I forget other people are restricted to towns. Sorry.

[conuly]

That's all right. I love blackberries, and am profoundly jealous of you.

(Not as much as I love mulberries, though. I'm considering buying some mulberry seeds and clandestinely scattering them in my favorite "pretty much unlandscaped" parks where there already *are* mulberries.)

[failstoexist.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but a great place to ask is the dyeingfiber community. It's a lot about yarn, but they know about all sorts of things. there have been some recent-ish posts about natural dyes, and if you ask they will definitely have some good ideas.

[shenya.livejournal.com]

I did consult my sources... ah... wander through the SCA website.

A list of plant dyes used in the middle ages:
http://www.florilegium.org/files/TEXTILES/dye-list-art.html

A page of links to medieval natural dyes:
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=1225

And another page of links to actual dye recipies (medieval again):
http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php?action=displaycat&catid=1224


These will generally all be dyes available in Europe in the middle ages but you mind find a few things there that you can get hold of.

*grin*

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

In terms of meaning, cloth and fabric are the same thing, I think. But I know that down where I grew up, cloth was something relatively unfinished (like homespun, or something undyed or un-patterned), whereas fabric was more finished, and ready to be made into a garment.

It's probably just a regional thing.

As for dyes, I'd say kool-aid, but I know you're looking for natural, so. XD

What about sweet potatoes? I think I remember you can get a red dye from them.