Subject: Dye Plants

From: Bill Allen <[email-masked]>
Date: 12 Sep 1995 01:35:16 GMT

Hi: This summer I grew a few madder and indigo plants to see how they would 
colour cotton tee-shirts. Does anyone know the proper way to extract the dye 
>from  these plants, how much is needed and the best time to harvest? Thank you.

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From: [email-masked] (c. richter)
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 23:19:54 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
>from these plants, how much is needed and the best time to harvest? Thank you. 

The directions for use are a bit involved.  You may want to consult 
some books, e.g., 

    Colours From Nature by Bobbi McRae
    A Weaver's Garden by Rita Buchanan

Both are available from Richters (request catalogue from [email-masked])

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From: [email-masked] (Tien-Yee Chiu)
Date: 13 Sep 1995 16:38:53 GMT

>from these plants, how much is needed and the best time to harvest? Thank you. 
_Nature's Colors_ by Ida Grae is an excellent book on dyeplants, and I
believe includes instructions on how to process from dried indigo leaves.
_Spin-Off_ (a magazine for handspinners) also had an article on indigo
processing two or three years ago, but I honestly can't remember the date
of the issue.

If you find out anything useful about harvesting and/or processing madder,
please let me know; I planted three plants in my garden two or three years
ago and lovingly tended them for an entire year before realizing my horrible
mistake.  Now I'm trying to dig out this monster that's taken over my
garden, and would like to know how to harvest and/or process the roots
to maximize the dye return.

Btw, I've noticed that madder tops stain my hands yellow-orange and am curious
whether anyone has tried using them as a dye.  Anyone know?

Tien Chiu
[email-masked]