Most 16 oz. natural dyes are special order items. Please call us for availability and lead times. (800) 542-5227

These liquid concentrate dyes from Botanical Colors are convenient, easy to use and produce beautiful, harmonious colors. Each dye is pre-extracted from a leaf, root, bark or other natural source and has been used for generations by cultures all over the world to create humble to heirloom textiles. The work of extracting the color has been done for you. All you have to do is mordant the fabric and start the dye bath! Dyes have a shelf life of about 3 years.

• Saxon Blue liquid indigo: a striking easy to use blue from the indigo plant, this recipe dates to 1740. Works best on wool fibers, and satisfactorily on silk; however we have, on occasion, observed color instability on silk fabrics. On cellulose fibers the color will be quite pale and unstable.
• Liquid Cutch: a soft, sweet-smelling brown
• Liquid Madder: one of the most ancient dyes, this is the red of Persian rugs
• Liquid Himalayan Rhubarb: a rich gold from the roots, this plant is also used in traditional herbal medicine
• Liquid Pomegranate: a bronze yellow that makes beautiful olive green shades with Iron
• Liquid Myrobalan: extracted from a leaf, root and bark this liquid creates a soft butter yellow color, higher percentages used will yield a brownish yellow. Overdyed with indigo makes a beautiful teal color
• Liquid Logwood Extract - (Haematoxylum campechianum) originates from the Yucatan region of Mexico and is naturalized throughout Central America. It can yield a rich, purple which was used as a base for the desirable dark purple and black colors of European royalty. Logwood by itself is not particularly lightfast, so keep from bright sunlight. With added iron, its lightfastness increases and the color darkens. 2 oz. of Logwood extract will dye approximately 4.5 pounds of fiber. The assistance of mordants will help aid in the purple color.

The dyes come from a multitude of places, including USA, India, Nepal, Turkey, Chile, Argentina and Mexico. 

Fiber Preparation and Mordanting

Mordanting is the step that prepares the fibers to bond with natural dyes. We recommend using alum as a mordant. Instructions are for 500 grams (approximately 1 lb) of dry weight fiber. We suggest starting with wool fiber as it is the easiest to dye, but this procedure works equally well for silk, alpaca and other animal fibers.

Make sure your fiber is clean and not oily or greasy feeling. You can wash your fibers with a mild soap and rinse thoroughly prior to mordanting.

Mix 4.5 Tablespoons of alum (aluminum potassium sulfate) with about a quart of boiling water to dissolve. Optionally, add 2 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar, which brightens colors and helps keep wool soft. Add to a dye pot large enough to hold your fibers. Fill the dye pot with room temperature water and stir well. Add fibers to the dye pot and stir gently while bringing the heat up to 200°F. Hold at this temperature for 45 minutes rotating the fibers occasionally and allow to cool so you can handle the fibers. Wearing gloves remove the fibers from the dye pot, drain and rinse briefly. You are now ready to start dyeing. You may mordant on one day and dye the next or mordant and dye in the same day. If you are mordanting in advance, store the mordanted fiber in a plastic bag in a cool place for up to one week.

Amount of Dye to Use

Dye Procedure

• Measure out the desired amount of dye(s).       Add to the dye pot filled with enough water so the fibers move easily without excessive crowding. Stir the pot so the dye is evenly dispersed.
• Add the yarn or fibers to the pot.
• Begin heating the pot until it reaches 85-90°F. Rotate the fibers gently to avoid felting or tangles. Hold at this temperature for 30 minutes.
• Bring the heat up to 180-200°F and hold for 30-45 minutes. The dyebath should look very light or nearly clear (exhausted). You may let the fibers cool in the dyebath until they are safe to handle.       Rinse the dyed fibers in warm water.
• If the dyebath still contains a lot of dye, add 1/4 cup white vinegar and continue a low simmer for another 30 minutes, then let cool overnight in the dyebath. Rinse in cool water.

Color Combinations

• Saxon Blue and Himalayan Rhubarb will make Olive, Sage and Bright Greens
• Saxon Blue and Lac liquid will make Periwinkle and Medium Blue
• Saxon Blue and Pomegranate will make an Aqua and a light Teal
• Saxon Blue and Cutch will make a Steely Gray Blue
• Saxon Blue and Madder will make a Yellow-Brown
• Madder with a pinch of Soda Ash will make a bright Purple
• Madder with a pinch of Cream of Tartar will make a Cherry Red
• Cutch with a pinch of Soda Ash will make a reddish Russet
• Myrobalan and Pomegranate used together create a rich yellow reminiscent of Indian textiles
• Tannin with a pinch of Iron that has been dissolved in cold water will make a soft Purple

Safety

• Always closely supervise children and keep pets away when working around hot liquids and dyes.
• We recommend using gloves when working with the dyes.   Although they are non-toxic, they can stain. If you are chemically sensitive, you may wish to use a dust mask when measuring alum powder. Keep children away from alum powder.
• Always clean up spills immediately
• Don't mix your kitchen utensils with your dyeing utensils
• Dispose of exhausted dye baths by pouring down the drain.

Notes and Troubleshooting

• If the fibers seem to be bleeding excessive amounts of dye while you are rinsing, stop and let the freshly dyed fibers air dry completely. Once the fibers are dry, then rinse and air dry.
• Saxon Blue works best on wool fibers, and satisfactorily on silk; however we have, on occasion, observed color instability on silk fabrics. On cellulose fibers the color will be quite pale and unstable.