Natural dye

“ The advantages of the new colours were ease and simplicity of use, general reliability with regard to strength and composition, and certainty in reproducing the same colour again without trouble. With regard to fastness, to light and to washing there is practically little difference between the two. It is more the method by which they are dyed and not the dye itself (although of course in 3 some cases this is not so) that determines their fastness. The natural dyes are more trouble and take longer time to prepare. ”

“ Salmon.--Prepare the dye-bath with 1/4 oz. Fast Acid Violet R, 1/2 oz. Orange G, 10 lb. Glauber's salt, 1 lb. sulphuric acid. Work at the boil to shade.
The mordant reds are fairly numerous, and include both natural and artificial red dye-stuffs. The principle or property on which the application of this group of dye-stuffs to the dyeing of textile fabrics depends is that they are of an acid character and combine with metallic oxides, like those of iron, aluminium, or chromium to form insoluble coloured bodies, or "colour lakes" as they are called. ”

“ Some of the chemical colours as well as the natural, are not fast to light and washing, and ought never to be used; but there are natural colours, such as madder, some of the lichens, catechu etc., which are as fast as any chemical dye, if not more so. BUT there is this general difference between the results of the two methods,—that when a chemical colour fades it becomes a different colour and generally a bad one: when a natural colour fades, it becomes a lighter tone of the same colour. ”

“ On examining the cotton patterns, we are at once struck with the marked fugitive character of nearly all the natural dyes. The exceptions are: the madder colors, especially when fixed on oil-prepared cotton, as in Turkey red; the black produced by logwood, tannin, and iron; and a few mineral colors, e.g., iron buff, manganese brown, chromate of lead orange, etc., and Prussian blue. Cochineal and its allies, which are such excellent dyes for wool and silk, give only fugitive colors on cotton. ”

“ The art of modern dyeing very greatly consists in the proper use of what are called mordants, that is, substances which, although they do not of themselves produce colour, so act upon the dyes as to cause them to give an intenser hue to the fabric, and also serve to make the colour permanent. The modern dyers have obtained several dye drugs unknown to the ancients, such as cochineal, quercitron, Brazil and logwood, arnotts, and indigo, which was only known to the Romans as a paint ”

“ Among these are Ladies Bedstraw, whortleberry, yellow iris, bracken, bramble, meadow sweet, alder, heather and many others. The yellow dyes are the most plentiful, and many of these are good fast colours. Practically no good red, in quantity, is obtainable. Madder is the only reliable red dye among plants, and that is no longer indigenous in England. Most of the dye plants require a preparation of the material to be dyed, with alum, or some other mordant, but a few, such as Barberry, and some of the lichens, are substantive dyes, and require no mordant. ”

“ It may be added that the leading firms carrying school art supplies offer dyes in suitable form especially adapted for the problems in pattern dyeing.
Perhaps a few suggestions to the less experienced of our readers will prove helpful. All of the good dyes manufactured today are in a very pure form. The use of one dye alone often gives results that are crude without any subtle beauty. It is frequently necessary to apply the principle well known to all workers in color, that colors are softened and beautified by small admixtures of their compliments ”

“ Referring first to the wool patterns and to the "direct dyes," we find that the only really fast colors are Prussian blue and Vat indigo blue. Turmeric, orchil, catechu, and indigo carmine are all extremely fugitive.
As to the "mordant dyes," some yield fast colors with all the usual mordants, e.g., madder, cochineal, lac dye, kermes, viz., reds with tin and aluminum, claret browns with copper and chromium, and dull violets with iron. ”

“ Coal tar dyes have come to stay, vegetable dyes for the most part have gone and will not return, and there is no sadness in the word. It is rather for us to rise to the challenge that has come, to recognize our greater heritage, and by pains, patience and intelligence in our work to ply the art worthily.
COLOR MIXING
The following general principles of color mixing apply to dyeing, both when colors are mixed in a dye-bath and when they are dyed one color over another:
Red is grayed by small amounts of yellow and blue or by any color containing both of these, as green, brown or gray. ”

“ The beginner is apt to think that to get a full color requires a concentrated dye-bath. Experience will teach him that, when the dyes are properly chosen for his fabric, a full color is obtained better by a longer treatment in a dilute bath, with additions of dye as mentioned above. In this way nearly if not all of the color put into the bath is absorbed by the cloth. This serves for economy of color, makes observation and control of the process easier, simplifies the problem of rinsing, and improves the quality of the dyeing. It is the only way dyeing to shade can be accomplished. ”

“ From the above we discover that the art of applying and fixing colours in dyeing depends on the chemical affinity between the cloth and the dyeing principle: and accordingly as this is more or less strong, so is the facility with which the substance is coloured, and on this the deepness of the dye depends: for frequently one kind of cloth will be found to receive no colour at all, whilst another will receive from the same composition a deep tinge. ”

“ This is an economical proceeding in many cases, especially in working with many of the old tannin materials, like sumac, divi-divi, myrobalans, and the modern direct dyes, which during the dyeing operations are not completely extracted out of the bath, or in other words the dye-bath is not exhausted of colouring matter, and therefore it can be used again for another lot of goods simply by adding fresh material to make up for that absorbed by the first lot. ”

“ It is a plant that is more extensively used for dyeing than any other in the world. For many years, until the products from petroleum began to come in, it was the only source for the red colors, because of its permanence. The dye is so powerful that it will turn the bones of animals red, if they are fed on it, and it also colors the claws and beaks of birds. ”

“ Nearly all the colors used in dyeing being of vegetable origin, it is necessary to apply some substances to the fabrics to be dyed which shall fix the colors in the grain. Of these (called “mordants”) the chief are acetate of alumina, acetate of iron, and chloride of tin (substances well known to chemists) , which have the property of making the coloring matter insoluble, so that it cannot be washed out.
There are various ways of dyeing. If the fabric has to be dyed all one color, it is dipped in the mordant, dried, and afterwards boiled in a solution of the dye-stuff. ”

“ The dyeing is sometimes done by brushing on a table, grain-side upwards, but more usually the skins are folded closely down the back, flesh-side inwards, so as to protect it as much as possible from the influence of the colour, and then passed through the dye-bath, which is now generally of aniline colours. ”

“ It is therefore important to use as little water as possible in making up the dye-bath, indeed, for anything like good results to be obtained with some dyes, especially those of the sulphur series like Vidal black, Immedial blacks, Katigen browns, Cross-dye blacks, Amidazol blacks, etc., it is necessary to employ what is called a short bath, that is making it as strong as possible. ”

“ The extensive use of dyeing as a means of printing textiles dates from the 19th century, when the modern chemical dyes were discovered. There is still a prejudice among some people against the use of chemical dyes for art work. This seems to be based upon the undisputed fact that in the early days of the dye industry some of the colors were so crude and harsh that people fell into the delusion that all harsh colors were due to chemical dyes. ”

“ Taupe is a gray thrown off, usually with purple, but sometimes with red or yellow or blue.
Salmon is formed by adding to yellow some orange and a tinge of brown.
Any dyeing over old color must be considered as a mixing of the new color with the old, which manner of thinking will help in choosing the dye necessary for a desired effect. For example, a green cloth is to be dyed black. There should be two dyeings, the first a red to neutralize the green, the second a black to intensify the neutrality. Likewise a red cloth becomes black by dyeing first green and then black. ”

“ It will be convenient to point out here that a very large proportion of the shades dyed on wool and other fabrics are obtained, not by the use of a single dye-stuff, although this should always be done, whenever possible, but by the combination of two or more dye-stuffs together in various proportions. It is truly astonishing what a great range of shades can thus be dyed by using two or three dyes suitably mixed together, and one of the things which go to making a successful dyer and colourist is the grasping of this fact by careful observation, and working accordingly. ”

“ To dye a pale color, put to each quart of soft warm water that is to be used for the dye, ten drops of the above composition—if you wish a deep color, more will be necessary. Put in the articles without crowding, and let them remain in it till of a good color—the dye-stuff should be kept warm—take the articles out without wringing, drain as much of the dye out of them as possible, then hang them to dry in a shady, airy place. They should be dyed when the weather is dry—if not dried quick, they will not look nice. ”

“ By the chloring of the wool the intensity of the shade dyed is increased to such a degree that when dyeing with Acid black, Naphthol black, Naphthol green, Nigrosine, Fast blue, Water blue, and some others dyed in an acid bath, but little more than half the dye used on unchlored wool is required, while with Induline, more even and intense shades are obtained than is otherwise possible. ”

“ Another important condition of obtaining a level dyeing is to proceed slowly, beginning with a weak bath at a moderate temperature, and rising gradually to a boil. If necessary to retard the dyeing from the commencement, then an assistant mordant is added to the dye-bath, in the shape of soda crystals or phosphate of soda for the (p. 081) benzidine colours on cotton; bisulphate of soda or Glauber's salt in dyeing with azo colours or acid colours on wool; or tartar may be used in most cases with good effect, causing the wool to have a softer feel. ”

“ The shades obtained from these Eosine reds are remarkable for their brilliance, but unfortunately their fastness to light, washing, etc., is but slight, although it may be increased by treating the dyed wool in a bath of alum or acetate of lead.
Some (p. 105) of the acid reds, e.g., Acid Magenta, Acid Violet, belong to the group of sulphonated basic dyes. The vast majority belong to the group of azo dyes, which can be employed to dye from palest pinks to the deepest crimson reds. Some dye very brilliant shades, others only yield dull reds. ”

“ It has been ascertained, however, that some of the direct dyes, e.g., Benzo azurine, Chicago blue, Catechu browns, Diamine blues, Diamine browns, etc., are capable of uniting with metallic bodies to form insoluble colour lakes, and this combination can take place on the fibre. Fast shades may be dyed with the dye-stuffs named above, and with others of this group, by first dyeing them in the usual way, then passing through a boiling bath containing bichromate of potash or copper sulphate, either together or separately. ”

“ Oxygen, especially in the nascent state, is very powerful upon dyes. See Bleaching.
The atmosphere in a somewhat moist state affects many dyes, at an elevated temperature. Silk dyed pink, with safflower, when heated to 400° F. becomes of a dirty white hue in the course of an hour. The violet of logwood upon alumed wool becomes of a dull brown at the same temperature in the same time. But both stand a heat of 300° F. Brazil red dye, turmeric, and weld yellow dyes display the same phenomena. ”

“ They may be dyed either from plain baths containing common salt or Glauber's salt, or from baths containing common salt or Glauber's salt and a little acetic acid.
Alkaline or soap baths do not work well as a rule, and must be avoided in wool dyeing. Generally the dye-bath is exhausted of colour, and full shades are easily obtained, while these reds are in general remarkable for the evenness and (p. 101) uniformity of tint which can be produced. ”

“ A slow dyeing is generally more level and successful in every way. In cases where the fiber absorbs the color greedily the dyer sometimes puts other ingredients called “assistants” into the bath to retard this absorption.
[Pg 41] Frequently the craftsman does shaded dyeing, such as a scarf with deep blue ends grading to a light blue center. The following directions will accomplish this: Hold the scarf in the middle with one hand, dip the ends into the dye-bath and work them thoroughly with the other hand. Then lower the scarf into the bath very gradually without interrupting the working. ”