Natural Dye Process

How to get started with Natural Dyeing

In this post I will cover the main steps in the process of Natural Dyeing.

It's important to remember that each Natural Fiber/Fabric, Mordant and Natural Dye you might choose to work with will have their own specific and distinct tips, techniques and processes that work best.

Here are the main steps involved in the traditional Natural Dye process:

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WEIGH

(1) Select natural fiber &/or fabric and weigh them while dry.

This total dry weight will allow you to calculate how much mordant and natural dye you will need for good color results.

How much you will need and the exact temperament of each mordant and natural dye will vary.

SCOUR

(2) Scour your natural fiber &/or fabric well to ensure a good surface for the mordant and natural dye to bond with.

Scouring your dyeables is critical and acts a bit like priming-before-painting.