Madder, logwood, indigo, fustic, black walnut - the dye materials of antiquity for the weavery of today. Here, for the first time, 24 different dyestuffs are presented in a total of 125 clear, easy-to-follow recipes. The reader will learn how to crush and soak berries, leaves, nuts, flowers and stems to obtain strong and beautiful natural dyes that cannot be duplicated by today's synthetics.
The author begins with an overview of mordanting and dyeing procedures. The reader will learn which chemicals are necessary to bond dyestuff to fiber, soften yarn, or change colors, and how to add them to the dyebath. General instructions for dyeing come next: the equipment needed, preparing the yarn and fleece, collecting dyestuffs, preparing the dyebath, dyeing the yarn and labeling and record-keeping.
The rest of the book is devoted to using the dye materials that were found in ancient times. Each type of dye is introduced by a discussion of its historical origins, followed by methods of obtaining and using the dye-stuff. Then the author gives step-by-step instructions for preparing several dyebaths, each using a different mordant to produced color gradations. The final chapter on over-dyeing - dyeing one color over another - presents more recipes for even greater color variations.
- Published in 1974
- Hardback
- Used in Very Good Condition
