4. B I O C H R O M E S¶

Natural Fibers - (brilliant colours) e.g. wool, silk, angora, mohair, alpaca, camel
Vegetable Fibers - (can achieve brilliant colours over time) e.g. cotton, linen, hemp
Man-made fibers - (would not recommend with dying)

_ 1 Organising & weighing wool 'fluffies' 10 grams each of Netherland wool + 5 grams of South American Merino wool

__ 2 Organising and bundling cotton yarn (roughly 3 grams each)

M E T H O D ¹

Step 1 - W E I G H

Weigh fabrics when dry WoF = Weight of Fibers

Step 2 - S C O U R

Scouring is cleaning and removing the fibers from any dirt & oil.

Place fibers into a large pot of water
Add Soda (Sodium Carbonate) 10% WoF
Simmer for approx 45 minutes - 1 hour. Stir occationally.
Allow fibers to cool down slowly and then rinse in hot water

NOTE

Rinse Fibers gently

Do not shock fibers (boiling hot from cold) - animal will felt

Boil Vegetable fibers

Step 3 - T A N

Tanning keeps colour in fabric for longer

Use on vegetable fibers (cotton, linen)

Sodium Carbonate, Oak galls, Tara Pods, Myrobalan, Sumac, Catechu, Pomegranate

Step 4 - M O R D A N T

Mordanting works as a catalyst to bind the dye pigments to the fibers. Modanting helps keep the colours intact and making more permanent.

Boil enough water to cover all of your fibres (use tepid water for wool)

Add Alum (Potassium Aluminum Sulphate)

Animal fibers (wool) =  10-20 % WoF of Alum
                     + 8 % WoF of Acid (Tartaric acid/ Cream of Tartar) 
Plant fibers (cotton) = 10-15 % WoF of Alum

Mix thoroughly until dissolved.
Wet your fibres.
Simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally
Remove and wash with water.

If using leftover mordant water to mordant again, you assume the strength of the mixture is half the strength and calculate dependently.

Cold Alum Mordanting - leave for 1/2 days

Cotton fabric mordanted 10-15 % WoF

P R E P A R I N G _ D Y E S¶

Selection of various Dye Material

N A T U R A L _ D Y E _ M A T E R I A L¶

Name	Dye Colour	Measurement	Dyestuff	Mordant	Fun Fact	Other Names
Sandalwood	Red	100 % WoF	wood chips or powder	Alum	interesting for inks	Saunderswood
Rooibos	Soft peach	% WoF	tea leaves	Alum
Red Onion	green	50 - 25 % WoF	skins	Alum (Copper or iron pre mordants affect colour)	contains tannins
Madder	Red	100 % Wof (red) 50 % (peach)	Roots	Both mordants and modifiers work.	Do not boil. Possibile to produce 25 shades with 1 dye bath
Logwood	purple	25 % WoF	dried chips	Alum=Purple, Iron=Dark, Copper=Blue hues	good for staining / painting	Campeche
St John's Wort	yellow/green	100 % WoF	flowers, plant tops	Alum	Medicinal	Hypericum perforatum
Weld	Yellow (primary)	20/30 % WoF +1/2 Sp Chalk	Stem and flower dye	Alum (copper or iron will effect final colour)	Very light and wash fast	Dyer's Rocket
Golden Onion	yellow/orange	25 % WoF	skins	Alum	mix with other dyes e.g madder to intensify colour
Hollyhock	pink/purple	100 % WoF	Flowers (fresh or dry)	give pale results to vegetable fibers, react well to modifiers
Rubarb Root	yellow	100 % (leaves), 50 % (roots) WoF	roots, leaves	natural mordant
Horse Chestnut	beige	30 % WoF	outer shell	Alum
Cochineal	fusia/pink/purple	5-10 % WoF	insect	Alum (brilliant colours), Cream of tartar (red)	Ground up	Carmine (lake pigment)
Sweet Pea	blue	50 % WoF	flower	Alum
Alkanet	red/blue	100 % WoF + 1 liter Ethanol (96%)	Root flakes	Alum	Extract dye using solvent (Ethanol), flakes can be extracted multiple times
Avocado	gentle pink	100 % WoF + half teaspoon Sodium Carbonate	pits (chop) and skins	soy binder	gently simmer

R E C I P E S¶

Recipes used for dye experiments ²

Dye Material	Measurment	Original Colour	Dye Colour
Red Onion Skins	50g	Red	Green (mustard)
Madder	100g	Brown	Red (various shades can be achieved)
Weld	20g	Yellow/Green	Yellow (bright)
Sweet Pea	20g	Blue/Purple	Blue/Purple (pale)
Holy Hocks	20g	Black/Purple	Green (pale)
St.John's Wort	30g	Brown/Green	Golden Green (pale)

All recipes include

2 liters of water for dye bath
Fabric bag for any loose dye material e.g. tea bag idea
Rinse the fibers well and wash in pH-neautral solution.

Some colours can be extracted in ethanol

Set up for Dye Bath

Materials / Tools

Pots, hob, measuring scale, whisk, fabric bags, dye material, iron, citric acid, treated and prepared fabric

Onion Skins 50 % WoF measured out / Onion skins placed in bag in dye bath

Onion Skin Dye result on cotton fabric, cotton yarn, wool from Netherlands and South American Merino wool

R E S U L T S¶

_ 1 Madder (100% WoF)

__ 2 Madder + Citric Acid (1%)

___ 3 Red Onion (50%)

____ 4 Red Onion less time (cotton) / non mordant (wool)

_____ 5 St. John's Wort (30%)

______ 6 Weld(60%)

_ 7 Cochineal

__ 8 Cochineal + Cirtric Acid

___ 9 Horse Chestnut

____ 10 Rhubard Root (30%)

_____ 11 Rhubard Root + Iron

______ 12 Holy Hock (20%)

_ 13 Oak Gall + Iron (35%)

__ 14 Oak Gall + Iron(gradient)

___ 15 Logwood

M O D I F Y¶

Modifying dye colours

The use of modifiers extends the range of colours available from a single dye bath.
Can result in a dramatic or subtle colour change.

To assess the colour change it is a good idea to keep some of the initial dye bath unmodified.

Some modifiers change the pH value of the dye to make it more acidic or alkaline. Others act as after-mordants.

Using pH test strips is helpful to know how Acidic / Alkaline a solution is

Acidic Modifier =

Usally turns colours to a lighter shade / more yellow in tone.
Tends to change red tones to orange, and make purple dyes more red.
Can be added to dye bath or separate pot of water.
Can also be applied wthout heat, just soak fibers in cool solution until colour is right.

Alkaline Modifier =

Usually make colour more pink in tone, but can change colours dramatically.
e.g Elderberry purples and pinks become green, while rhubarb yellow turns light red.
Apply to animal fibers without heat (otherwise fibers may damage / disintergrate).
Vegetable fibers may be heated, or add modifier to dye bath.

Copper modifiers =

Usually make colours more green / brown in tone (darker).
Sometimes copper doesn't affect the shade, however it's addition will generally improve the fastness (usefull when a premordant has not been applied).
If using as modifier = stir into bath, add wetted fiber and simmer for 10/15 minutes.
Full after-mordanting effect = simmer the fibers for 30 minutes.

Iron modifiers =

Tend to make the colours darker and more somber in tone.
Improve the fastness of most dyes.
Iron modification process called 'saddening'. Can turn yellows olive green and if used with dyes rich in tannin, it can make colours dark grey, almost black.
Add to the dye bath or pot of water and stir it well. Can be applied without heat wo many plant dyes.
Simmer for about 5 minutes (takes effect quickly)

Modifiers in Crystal form =

Modifiers can also be used in powder / crystaline form.
Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of powder or crystals to hot liquid and allow to dissolve.

Other Modifiers

Clear Vinegar = acidic modifier.
Ammonia, wood ash water = alkaline modifier.

Homemade copper and iron liquors made as mordants can be used as modifiers.

Wood Ash water Recipe:

1. Remove the cold ashes from wood burning stove and place in plastic bucket. 
2. Fill with cold water and leave ashes to steep for a week, until the liquid turns yellow and feels slimy.
3. Decant the liquid into a container without disurbing the ash sediment, stored indefinitely.
4. To use as modifier: add half a cupful to the dye bath or seperate pot of water.

Always rinse and wash well

P R E C I P I T A T I O N¶

Pigment Extraction - Precipitation of Dye Bath ³

Making used dye bath into pigments / inks = Recycling colours

Alum and Soda = dries dyes

R E C I P E¶

1 litre of dye bath 
15 grams of Alum into residue dye bath (hot) & dissolve (feel it!)
7 grams of Soda (Sodium Carbonate) - roughly half of alum

Add Soda a little bit at a time (bath will bubble + turn colour)
Stir
Place mixture in a coffee filter in a funnel / sieve to allow all of the liquid to pass through
The remaining residue is the pigment extraction which will solidify / turn to powder over time

Precipitation Process

Possibilities to experiment

Can start neutral or experiment with more Acid / Alkaline mixture
Extract multiple times
Experiment with chalk and citric acid
Can screenprint with it
Add gum to make more viscose
Can seal in jar and keep printing
Let dry completely = powder
Add chalk to water to make dye stronger

Recipe to make Watercolour (I have not yet tried it for myself)

Watercolour

+ Gum Arabic (liquid) little bit
+ Glycerin / Honey (little bit)
+ muller (bathroom tile + stone/ glass on glass)

- Mull in 8's (creates viscosity)
- Ensure particles evenly dispersed
- Can add Acid / Alkaline to change colour
- Put in funnel + filter / sieve / fine mesh fabric

I N K S¶

Results of precipitating Madder, Cochineal rinse bath, Red Onion dye bath and St John's Wort dye bath.

I made tests using each dye residue and various mixtures to see the changes of colour / texture / application on acid free Khadi paper

Dye Residue + Xanthan Gum
Dye Residue + Xanthan Gum + 70% Ethanol
Pure Dye Residue
Dye Residue + + 70% Ethanol
Dye Residue + Guar Gum
Dye Residue + Guar Gum + 70% Ethanol
Dye Residue + Guar Gum + Chalk
Dye Residue + Chalk
Dye Bath
Dye Residue + Citric Acid
Dye Residue + Iron Sulfate

Madder / St John's Wort

Cochineal / Red Onion Skins

B A C T E R I A¶

We experimented with bacteria dying using silk fabric & Serratia Marcescens bacteria ⁴

M E T H O D¶

Step 1 - Prepare Fabric

Gather & tie silk fabric in chosen shibori technique - Many tutorials and inspiration can be found online e.g. Seamwork.
I gathered mine with cotton thread in a circular pattern
Place in fabric in Petri Dish

Step 2 - Sterilize

Methods of Sterilization = Heat, UV light, Alcohol, Acidity

Sterilize table and tools using ethanol and paper towels.

Step 3 - Prepare Food

Food for bacteria

NA (Nutriend Agar) - Yeast Extract
Broth (Agar + Beef Extract)

Mix containers of food with 300 ml Distilled water (demineralised -> more consisent) + peanut butter + stir

Food	Nutrient amount	Demineralized Water	Peanut butter
Nutrient Agar	9,3 gr	300 ml	0,5 gr
Luria Broth	7,5 gr	300 ml	0,6 gr

Step 4 - Autoclave

Sterilize fabric petri dishes & food

Isolate petri dishes with fabric inside autoclave bags & seal + put in autoclave
Place food bottles in autoclave (bottles should be slightly open so that they do not explode in the pressure cooker but tight enough so that water doesnt get in)
Autoclave 121 degrees C for 20 minutes

NOTE - AUTOCLAVE

Ensure no obstructions

Close with screws (pretty tight, double check)

Safety valve up = open (steam can escape) down = closed (builds up pressure)

Keep valve open (up) until temperature of autoclave reached 100 degrees C, then close it

Needs to go below 90 degrees before you can open

Step 5 - Combine

Bunsen Burner + alcohol = sterile environment (blue flame + ethanol create a bubble of sterilization)
Pour the food on top of the fabrics in the petri dishes (within the sterile bubble).
Using inoculation loop (sterilize under flame) collect some colonies of bateria and place on fabric (sterilising loop after)
Seal petri dishes with parafilm tape.
Place petri dishes in the incubator (helps to create a controlled temperature at 18-20 degree celcius).

We left petri dishes in incubator for 3 days.

Step 6 - Inoculate

Final step was to Inoculate and kill the bacteria

Place petri dishes in Autoclave

NOTE

Label - Important to note: Name, What is it, Date

Always clean everything with alcohol

Obide by rules of the lab (tie up hair, wash hands before entering and after leaving)

Images showing growth of bacteria over time

R E S U L T¶

Result of bateria dye on silk

Image shows the different growths

Top - Luria Broth (Agar + Beef Extract) = Bacteria grew very well

Bottom - NA (Nutriend Agar) - Yeast Extract = Bacteria did not grow very well

R E C I P E S¶

Fabric Preparation (for natural dyes) ↩
Natural Dyes ↩
Precipitation / Inks ↩
Bateria Dye (Serratia Marcescens) ↩