A Simple Tutorial for Natural Dyeing with foraged plants

The following, simple step by step instructions will guide you on how to dye with Staghorn Sumac including how to prepare your cloth for dyeing. You can apply the steps to dyeing with other natural ingredients, making adjustments along the way.

The Staghorn Sumac tree is a prolific grower and can be found just about anywhere, growing singularly or in large colonies. The entire tree is tannin rich and so mordanting* is not necessary. Color results will range from yellows to olives. I combine the berries, leaves and branches in my dye baths.

*Botanical Colors has an excellent tutorial on mordanting on wool, protein, and cellulose fibers.

A note before starting, use only dedicated non-reactive metal pots and utensils for all dye work. While all ingredients are natural, in large amounts, potentially unhealthy. A kitchen scale is also a helpful tool for weighing fibers and dyestuff but not necessary for this dyeing dye lesson, the results will be dependent on how much dyestuff you have gathered.

Materials needed:

a heaping bunch of stag horn sumac: a few berry heads and its leaves or about 4 cups
Non reactive pots or one pot and bowl for straining dye bath
food tongs for grabbing and removing fabric from dye bath
mesh strainer
mild soap for scouring

First, start with clean, scoured (washed) fabric for best results. scouring Directions can Use either the stove top method or a washing machine. Use a 1/4 teaspoon of neutral soap such as Woolite or mild dish detergent such as Dawn (soap must be free of any additives). I use Synthrapol. For washing machine, Set on the hottest water temp for the item and let it run through a normal cycle. If using the stove method, heat up a stainless steel pot of water with the soap, stirring to dilute and add the dye item. gently move it around to cleanse for about 20 minutes. remove from heat and Once cool, rinse and set the fiber aside, keeping it damp.

While fabric is washing, gather your dyestuff and place in a stainless steel pot that is large enough to hold both the plant material when covered with water for extracting dye and later for dyeing. I broke up all parts of the tree into manageable sizes to fit comfortably into pot: branches, leaves and the berry heads. Once water has been added to cover the dye material, Simmer on medium heat for at least two hours to extract the dye. You can allow it to sit overnight too. Never boil! Boiling can alter the color (it’s a scientific molecular descrambling) and can dull the dye results. The more dyestuff used the deeper, darker the results. Using less may result in only a hint of color but this is where you can experiment: how long an item spends in the dye bath, ratio of dyestuff to extract into a dye bath, etc.

After the dye has been extracted and cooled, use a fine mesh strainer to remove the plant parts from the bath and return the strained liquid to the pot. Return pot to the burner. If you do not strain the plant, you will get uneven, blotchy results and in some places where the plant rests on the fabric, an imprint. For some, this is the desired result. I encourage you to experiment!

Add the damp scoured fabric/item to the dye bath, adding more water if necessary to cover the fabric. Note that the amount of water in the pot does not influence dye results. The dye bath is already pre-determined in the extraction. How much pigment your item takes up in the bath is determined by the fiber itself and time spent in the bath. Raise the heat to just below simmering and stir the fabric gently over the course of the next hour or two. Prevent the dye bath from boiling and note the magical uptake of dye by the fabric. Allowing the fabric to sit overnight in the dye pot after simmering can result in deeper shades. If you want a light shade, keep checking the item and remove it from the dye bath when it is a shade darker than you want. Wet items dry lighter. There is no wrong or right.

Once the liquid has cooled, remove the dyed item and rinse in cool water until clear then wash by machine or hand with cold water and a drop of of neutral detergent, dry and enjoy.

A final thought: fresh, actively growing plants will give the best color and one should experiment with both dried and fresh plants to document the differences. However that shouldn’t stop the novice or the seasoned dyer from gathering and dyeing even in non active growing seasons!