Dyeing with Natural Dyestuffs

I pulled out my copy of "Dye Plants" by John and Margaret Cannon, and found these tidbits pertaining to dyeing and plants.

Little did I realize the byways of madder-root dyeing that this project would lead me to!

Documentat ion for an Anglo-Saxo n dress, describing all steps of the process, including spinning and dyeing the yarn, and weaving the cloth.

This is a partial list of books I have found helpful in my research of weaving, spinning and dyeing. This list is not comprehensive and reflects my focus: weaving, spinning, and natural dyeing.

This bibliograp hy is primarily intended for the contributi ng authors and expert advisers of the Anglo-Saxo n Plant-Name Survey. It is, therefore, biased towards Anglo-Saxo n England, but with a wider range of titles in areas where this may be appropriat e to ASPNS studies.

Discusses indigo and woad.

This article is intended as an aid to people, generally re-enactors, who are engaged in experiments with natural dyestuffs. It is basically a list of which dyes and dyestuffs are known (or strongly believed by experts) to have been used in the Viking Age.

A comparison of red dyestuffs available in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and how to use them.

This paper discusses the use of tannic acid and iron to dye fabric; in particular, wild blackberry.

This paper discusses the use of walnut to dye fabric, and historical references to walnut dyes.

Lichen purple is a general term used to describe purple dyes derived from lichens. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. But unlike other ancient dyes (indigo, Tyrian purple, etc.) the origin and chemical composition of the dye are less exact. These pages describe the history and chemistry of the dyes and give some of the classical recipes with extensive bibliographic references. Some of the names used for the purple dye are archil, orchil, orcein, litmus, cudbear, persio, la parelle, and la pourpre Français.

The medieval dyeing industry was fairly advanced and had at its disposal not only a host of dyestuffs that could easily be gathered just out the back door, but industrial ly grown and harvested dyestuffs that were traded all across the Eurasian 'conti nent' and beyond.

Color has always been important to humans. Archaeolog ical records tells us that early humans developed methods of adding color to fiber as they learned how to use it to construct fabric for clothing, household, and ceremonial items. Dyeing was a precursor to embroidery , for in order for it to be worth applying a separate thread to fabric, the thread must be sufficient ly different from the background fabric. Dyestuffs which made bright, fast colors were difficult to find and therefore both the dyes and items dyed with them were valuable trade items that drove trade routes even into the current age.

This is not a "how to" but a "helpful hint" article with a list of books and articles of interest as ell as a list of natural dyes documented as used in the Middle Ages.

There are many plants and chemicals in nature that can dye fabric, leather, hair, and other items. This article provides safety tips, a glossary of dyeing terminolog y, and principles of natural dyeing.

This is a list for the discussion of natural dyes -- materials and techniques.

History and procedure for dying wool purple with orchil.

Dyestuffs for Anglo-Saxon English garments, with notes as to the sorts of class levels for which such colors would be appropriate. Provides Paterna and DMC equivalents for colors.

Discussion of natural dyes in a medieval context, both history and practical use.

A procedure for dyeing fibers.

Variously known as Royal purple, Tyrian purple, purple of the ancients, this ancient dyestuff, mentioned in texts dating about 1600 BC, was produced from the mucus of the hypobranchial gland of various species of marine molluscs, notably Murex.