Dyeing Fabric with Culinary Herbs

Precision Dyeing

Precision dyeing requires that you keep careful records during the process. Measure and record the amount of dye bath made from rosemary. Pour dye bath into a stainless-steel pan and add enough distilled water to cover the fiber. Add all your fiber – mordanted and non-mordanted — and cover with a lid. Heat to 140 degrees and maintain heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Check temperature and stir gently every 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove fiber and place gently onto paper towels or into a stainless-steel bowl.

Pour half the dye bath into another container. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons ammonia into the dye bath and stir. Place one third of the mordanted and the non-mordanted fiber back into this dye bath. Simmer for 10 minutes to brighten the color.

There are two methods to tone down another third of the fiber.

Method 1: Pour half the dye bath without ammonia into an iron pan. Add one third of the mordanted and non-mordanted fiber to the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes or until you see the color shift to bronze green.

Method 2: Pour half the dye bath without ammonia into a stainless-steel pan; add iron nails (I used six nails) and one third of the mordanted and non-mordanted fiber. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the color of the fiber shifts to bronze green.

Gently remove fiber and rinse in tap water, progressing from very warm to room temperature, until no color runs from the fiber. Lay flat on paper towels or drape on a drying rack until dry. Pin or tie labels onto each piece of fabric or yarn. Now that you’ve written down all steps and amounts, you’ll have a natural dye recipe to replicate colors or explore further with different mordants.