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Cutch, Ground Extract
$4.40 – $18.00
Ground resin extract from Acacia catechu, sometimes called Catechu.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. A source of lovely rich browns and rusts. Substantive but pre-mordanting recommended. Use at 20-50% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: soak 24 hours in water to dissolve, stirring occasionally. Place extract and fibre in dyepot and add more water if necessary. Bring to a high simmer for 1 hour. Let fibre cool in dye liquor for at least one more hour or overnight.
Light and washfastness: excellent
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Osage Orange, Shavings
Dried shavings from Maclura pomifera, a tree once widely planted in the US and eastern Canada for shetlerbelts. The wood is still used to make archery bows.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. Pre-mordanting recommended. Strong and fast golden to lemon yellows are produced. Use at 20-50% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: place shavings in a stocking and soak overnight (or longer) in cold water. Bring to a simmer for 1 hour, cool and remove stocking. Enter premordanted fibre and simmer for 1 hour. Combines well with other dyes such as Logwood. Shavings can be dried and reused.
Light and washfastness: excellent.
Madder, Whole
Dried roots of Rubia tinctoria, available ground or whole.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. Pre-mordanting recommended. A classic dye, giving dramatic reds, brick-reds to orange and coral. Use at 50-100% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: simmer in water below 185°F for 30 minutes. Cool overnight, then repeat simmer and strain. Add more water and enter pre-mordanted fibre. Hold below 158°F for one hour. Higher temperatures produce browns. Whole madder is best chopped up first in an old blender, or soaked overnight then ground as best you can in the blender with the soaking liquid. Rita Buchanan once described the process as attempting to break pencils with your bare hands. Despite this, many dyers claim the best colours come from the dried, whole roots.
Light and washfastness: excellent.
Munjeet, Ground
Ground dried roots of Rubia cordifolia, also called Indian Madder. A very close cousin to regular Madder.
Use on protein or cellulose fibres. Pre-mordanting recommended. Produces dramatic reds, crimson and coral/salmon. Basically follow a recipe for regular Madder. Use at 50-100% WOF for medium shades.
TO USE: simmer in water below 185°F for 30 minutes. Cool overnight, then repeat simmer and strain. Add more water and enter pre-mordanted fibre. Hold below 158°F for one hour. Higher temperatures produce browns.
Light and washfastness: excellent
Henna powder
A powder made from the dried leaves of a shrub, Lawsonia inermis, used for centuries as a hair and skin dye in many cultures.
Used mainly on protein fibres but also effective on premordanted cellulose fibres. Substantive on wool (no mordant required) but mordants may improve lightfast qualities and copper, iron or tin will alter the resulting colours. By itself Henna produces shades of tan through brown to orange-brown or gold can also be achieved.Use at 50% WOF for medium to strong shades.
TO USE: probably best soaked in water overnight. Simmer 1 hour in soaking liquid. Cool, strain then simmer premordanted fibre for 30-60 minutes.
Light and washfastness: we're not sure yet, but probably pretty good.