Vegetable dyes

Listing ID #3684044

Natural dyeing using plant-based dyestuffs produces a variety of beautiful dyed fabrics with no environmental pollution. In ancient times, it was the brilliant and permanent dyeing of cotton, in which India was unrivalled. The Indian genius in natural dyeing lay in their mastery of the pre-treatment of cotton, enabling the production of bright, colour-fast, and washable fabrics.Cotton needs a complex series of pre-treatments before it absorbs any dye except indigo, with which it bonds naturally. Dyeing begins with the extraction of colouring matter from the vegetable dye material. In the second stage, the fibre to be dyed is mordanted, creating a bond between the colouring matter and the fibre. The yarn or fabric to be dyed is well scoured to remove natural oils, pre-treated in various ways, then heated in the extracted dye at different temperatures depending on the dye material, usually for about 30-45 minutes, for the dye to take on the fibre for a long-lasting effect.