Natural Dyes
Colours that are Rich, Warm and Soothing

Natural dyes have a long and rich history in cultures throughout the world, representing centuries of art and craftsmanship. With the advent of synthetic dyes, beginning with the discovery of mauvine in 1856, the plant dye industry was driven to near extinction.

Many fiber artists have always recognized the beauty of natural dyes but many more are taking a new look as we transition into a greater concern for our environment. Eco-friendly plant dyes are bio-degradable and a renewable resource and we now have a much better understanding of which dye mordants are safe and which are more toxic to our environment.

Natural dyes have a certain beauty and depth of colour that cannot quite be obtained with synthetics. Chemical colours tend to be harder and sharper and so need to be carefully colour matched while it is often said that the warm, soothing naturally dyed colours display harmony in any combination and become even more beautiful with age.

It is true that synthetic dyes have evolved into a wide range of beautiful shades, they are less expensive and some less toxic than in the past. We are a long way off from being able to use plant dyes in the entire clothing industry and so there needs to be a continued effort and focus on making synthetic dyes more environmentally friendly. But for the fiber artist and craftperson, I can only recommend trying natural dyes, especially if you love to use natural fibers - they just belong together. There is a very addictive and satisfying quality in learning to use these dyes that cannot be found with chemical dyes. But you don't really know that until you begin.

The earliest written record of the use of natural dyes was found in China dated 2600 BC

Tyrian purple was so expensive that its use was restricted to royalty. It was obtained from a small Mediterranean shellfish and produced in the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. It was estimated that it took 8,500 shellfish to produce one gram of dye.

In 1856, while trying to synthesize artificial quinine, 18-year-old chemistry student William Perkin instead produced a strangely beautiful color. Perkin had stumbled across the world's first aniline dye, a color that became known as mauve.

Historically, indigo dye played an important role in many countries' economies because natural blue dyes are rare. Nearly all indigo produced today is synthetic.

In 1930, Violetta Thurston wrote the following as an introduction to her pioneering booklet "The Use of Vegetable Dyes".

• Q. Is this "vegetable dyeing" we hear so much about less trouble than chemical dyeing?
• A. No. it is more trouble.
• Q. Is it, then quicker?
• A. No, it takes much longer.
• Q. Is it a faster dye?
• A. No, a really fast chemical dye cannot be surpassed by any vegetable dye.
• Q. Is it cheaper?
• A. No, the cheap chemical dyes in packets cost only a few pence.
• Q. Why then does anyone trouble to use vegetable dye?
• A. Because of the beauty of its results!