0-waste Mordant dyes

Current documentation on natural dyes can be found in the lecture note of the Biochromes course in the Fabricademy website. We really invite you to first navigate through it to initiate your exploration.

Qualities of hot dyes

Hot dyes

• simple and traditonal method to start
• sustainable when all discarded parts are re-used, recyled and transformed
• sustaible by exploring local (or locally present) dye plants/materials, harvesting them when possible, growing them
• sustaible when working on local wool, promoting a local chain for production and transformation with the DIY tools of the little wool factory

Within the hot dyes we see a circular process, where all leftovers from the dye bath are being re-used - creating a fully circular process. The process breaks down into 3 major steps:

• creation and use of the hot dye bath with plant matter
• creation of Lake pigments (the recycling of hot dye baths)
• use of lake pigments for wool

Experimenting with dutch wool, plant dyes and circular processes

During the FabriGathering held in Paros (Greece), Ceciliia & Bea (TextileLab Waag) explored and experimented with teaching a number of processes around 0-waste circular natural dyeing.

Process

We planned our process to be:

PREPARING THE WOOL - TEST

Below a general step by step process for hot dyeing

MORDANTING

step 1

• WEIGH OF FIBERS aka WOF

Start by weighing the amount of dry fibres, this will be the WOF (weigh of fibers). Note donw the amount of fibers you will be mordanting and later dyeing.

weighing the dry wool fibers, yarns or fabric

step 2

• MORDANTING Measure 15% of WOF of Alum and 5% WOF of Creme of Tartar. Creme of Tartar will help in adjusting the ideal pH for wool and also by protect the fibre during the mordanting process.

measuring the amount of alum and creme of tartar in relation to the WOF

step 3

• MORDANTING Add both Alum and Creme of Tartar to a pot full of water and bring to simmer, until they are fully dissolved. Wet the wool fibres before adding them to the pot.

adding alum and creme of tartar to the water pot

step 4

• MORDANTING Simmer for 1 hour. Optional: to guarantee maximum mordant absorption you can leave the fibres in the mordant bath overnight. Be aware never to boil protein fibres as they can easily get damaged by excessive heat

simmering all fibers

step 5

• RINSING THE WOOL Remove the yarns or fabric from the mordant bath and rinse thoroughly in running water. Be careful not to give temperature shock to animal fibres, if the bath is still warm, use warm water to rinse as well, or let it cool down. rinsing the wool

1. Preparation of the wool
   • soaking and washing
2. Preparation of the plants
   • plants used, where from, basic info of the plant
   • identification of the natural colourant and classification there-of
3. dyeing
   • processing the (already cleaned and mordanted) dutch wool
4. recycling
   • trasnformation of the left-over dye bath into a solid organic pigment
5. re-splitting of the pigment into an acidic dye bath (only viable for wool)
   • process of unbounding the previously created pigment
6. dyeing
   • of the (clean but not mordanted) dutch wool with the recyled pigment

7. leftovers

   [illustration/graphic comiing soon]

Used plants in the first workshop / research session

Dye

MADDER

• NAME: Madder - Rubia Tinctoria - Meekrap
• COLOR: red-orange-tan-bordeaux
• DYE COMPOUND:
• PROVENIENCE: local plant, abundant, waste stream etc

WELD

• NAME: Weld - Reseda Luteola - Wouw
• COLOR: yellow-green, orange(with madder), green(with indigo)
• DYE COMPOUND: luteolin
• PROVENIENCE: local plant, abundant

LOGWOOD/CAMPECHE

• NAME: Logwood/Campeche - Haematoxylum Campechianum - Blauhout
• COLOR: purple-red-blue
• DYE COMPOUND: x
• PROVENIENCE: xx

ALKANET

• NAME: Alkanet - Alkanna tinctoria - Smeerwortel
• COLOR: purple-grey
• DYE COMPOUND: xx
• PROVENIENCE: local plant

OAK GALL

• NAME: Oak Galls - x - x
• COLOR: purple-grey-black
• DYE COMPOUND: tannins
• PROVENIENCE: local plant

HIBISCUS

• NAME: fresh Hibiscus - Alkanna tinctoria - Smeerwortel
• COLOR: purple-pink
• DYE COMPOUND: xx
• PROVENIENCE: local plant

POMEGRANATE

• NAME: Pomegranate - Xxx - Granaatappel
• COLOR: green-yellow-brown
• DYE COMPOUND: xx
• PROVENIENCE: local plant

ANNATTO

• NAME: Annatto - Achiote - achiote
• COLOR: red-orange
• DYE COMPOUND: xx
• PROVENIENCE: local plant

0-waste dyes processes overview

Hot Dyes

Below a general step by step process for hot dyeing

STEP BY STEP overview

step 1

• heat up clean water in a pot on a stove at ±80 degrees
• add an image of the process

step 2

• add your dye stuff (amounts vary by dye stuff and WoF)
• add an image of the process

step 3

• simmer the dye to extract the colour for X amount of time (depending on the dye stuff)
• add an image of the process

step 4

• remove the dye matter and save the dye liquid
• add an image of the process

step 5

• add your premordanted wool to the dye bath and simmer until the wool has reached a shade of colour you like
• add an image of the process

step 6

• rinse the dyed wool under tiepid water
• add an image of the process

Recycled pigments - recycling your dye bath

With wool it is possible to create a fully circular process, where nothing is wasted. This is done in two steps, Pigments, showcased here below in a step by step, and by creating an acid dye bath from split lakes in the step by step below.

STEP BY STEP overview

step 1

• heat up the letfover dye bath
• add an image of the process

step 2

• prepare 2 solutions, one of alum crystals dissolved in hot water; and one of soda ash dissolved in hot water
• the proportions are respectively of 2:1 (alum:soda ash) you can start with 10 grams of alum : 5 grams of soda ash
• add an image of the process

step 3

• add the alum solution to the dye bath and stirr well
• add an image of the process

step 4

• add little by little the soda ash solution to the mixed dye bath, while stirring
• by shifting the ph from acidic to alkaline, bubbling will occurr in the solution, bt slowly adding the solution together, you will be able not to spill any of the mix.
• add an image of the process

step 5

• let the mixed solution sit, until the pigment deposists on the bottom
• add an image of the process

step 6

• filter the mixed solution including the sedimented pigment through a coffee filter and let dry
• add an image of the process

step 7

• grind the dry pigment gently to a fine powder.
• add an image of the process

Recycled dye bath - recycling your dye bath

With wool it is possible to create a fully circular process, where nothing is wasted. This is done in two steps, Pigments, showcased here above in a step by step, and by creating an acid dye bath from split lakes in the step by step below.

STEP BY STEP overview

step 1

• heat up some clean water on a pot on a stove
• add an image of the process

step 2

• place the dry pigment in a separate jar or bowl
• add an image of the process

step 3

• prepare a mixed solution at the ratio of 3:1 of water : vinegar
• add an image of the process

step 4

• add the solution of step 3 to the powdered pigment in the bowl as of step 2
• add an image of the process

step 5

• mix and make sure the pigment is well dissolved, if clumps occurr, add a little extra of the solution
• add an image of the process

step 6

• add the coloured solution to the water in the pot
• add an image of the process

step 7

• add the wool (unmordanted this time) to the bath, simmer for about an hour and let the wool cool into the bath.
• add an image of the process

step 8

• remove the wool and rinse it under tiepid water
• add an image of the process

Other "leftovers"

Alum

You can simmer down the alum water and then keep aside, better if in the fridge. You can re-use this water, often its calculated as 30-50% effective, so you can add the remaining percentage of your choice. We have succesully tested it as a 30% effective mordanting bath, adding 70% of new alum.

Pigment clear water

Measure the ph of this water and finish neutralizing accordingly before discarding if alkaline or acidic. If alkaline, add vinegar/citric acid. If acidic add very little soda/chalk.

The colours

Wool - Hot Dyes

DYE STUFF	ALUM	IRON	COPPER	BASIC	ACID

Wool - Hot Dyes Yarns

DYE STUFF
madder
m+p
pomegr.
weld
w+m+p

Wool - Hot Dyes Yarns test 2

DYE STUFF
madder
m+p
pomegr.
weld
w+m+p

Recycled Lake pigments for wool acid dye baths

DYE STUFF
madder
cochi
indigo
weld
pomegr.
logwood
alkanet
rhubarb
buckthorn

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Last update: April 23, 2022