Jo Jenner
hawaii & oregon, usa
Stockholm 89: To produce a gold colour by cold dyeing.
Bruise alkanet and mix natron with it until it gets blood-colored. The boiling is done with water. Then dye what you desire. Or else. Bruise alkanet in the same way with safflower, afterwards put it in and let the blood color be absorbed. And if you bruise alkanet with telis then proceed likewise. Alkanet in company with chalcanthum, however, dyes linen as well as cambric. For the chalcanthum alkanet red changes into purple.. “Telis” is a certain species of a plant or flower.
introduction:
Knowledge of the essential steps of dyeing fibers provides a basis for a successful trial of this recipe. Previous research articles, websites and consultation with our team of women helped to interpret the translated written recipe. An educated guess was made in choosing Fenugreek as the ingredient for Telis. A design plan was created to test the recipe with contemporary equipment and supplies.
First task: Create a Natron facsimile in my dye lab. Ingredients used: 1 part Sodium chloride; 1 part: Sodium bicarbonate: 1⁄2 part: Sodium sulfate; 1⁄2 part Sodium carbonate. Steps: Put ingredients in a stainless steel pot and cover with water. Stir continuously on low heat until a mash forms. The water absorbed rapidly and more water was added to the mix. Once it thickened and difficult to stir the pan was removed from heat. Humidity is high in Hawaii so the mash was placed on a baking sheet and placed in an oven at 200°F/90°C until dehydrated ~ 1 hour. Once cool it was broken into small pieces and place in an airtight container.
Second task was to scour and mordant fibers: 100%: cotton, linen fabric and wool yarn. Contemporary methods were used: Soda ash and Synthrapol for cellulose fibers and Synthrapol for wool fibers.
Third Task: Create first dye bath: 10% WOF Natron and 100% WOF Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) powder were combined in a stainless steel pot with rainwater. Heat was applied and kept at 160°F/70°C for one hour stirring every 10-15 minutes. The pre-wet fibers were added and held at 160°F/70°C for one hour stirring every 10-15 minutes. Heat was removed and fibers stayed in dye bath overnight. Rinse fibers. Hang to dry.
Fourth Task: Prep Safflower dye bath. Remove yellow from 100% WOF Safflower by putting in a loose weave cloth and place in bowl of room temperature rainwater. Let petals hydrate then squeeze and press the yellow out of the Safflower until a pink color begins to dye the cloth and the quantity of yellow released from the Safflower diminishes significantly.
Fifth Task: Make second dye bath. Repeat same recipe as in second dye bath (Natron, Alkanet & Safflower) but substitute safflower that has had the yellow dye extracted in fifth task. Repeat all dye bath steps.
Sixth Task: Make third dye bath. Repeat Dye bath in Sixth Task but change pH with vinegar pH5 and use only cellulose fibers.
Seventh Task: Make fourth dye bath. Repeat same dye recipe as in first dye bath but add 100% WOF Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) seed powder to the 10% WOF Natron & 100% WOF Alkanet. Repeat all dye bath steps.
Eighth Task: Make fifth dye bath. Repeat same dye recipe as first dye bath but add copper pieces when Alkanet and Natron are added to the water to make the dye bath. Repeat all dye bath steps.
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