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5 Easy Natural Dyes

Plantains are abundant from spring through autumn. They have a long tap root, wide leaves at the base, and a single green flower. The whole plant contains color with excellent lightfastness. For a soft green, use young leaves with an alum mordant. Gray is produced with the whole plant material and an iron mordant.

Yellow onion skins produce yellow with an alum mordant and olive-green with an iron mordant. Fresh leaves from an autumn olive tree produce yellow with an alum mordant, yellow-gray with an iron mordant, and beige with vinegar all with excellent light and color fastness.

Marigold flowers are available in many colors such as yellow, orange, ochre, rust and maroon. Each producing a very strong pigment of their respective color with excellent light and color fastness. The addition of alum, vinegar or iron will influence the color outcome.

Mint produces a soft yellow with an alum mordant, or warm gray with an iron mordant both with good light and color fastness. The whole plant can be used to produce color.

Applying Plaster to Straw Bales

Straw bales are being recognized as an effective, insulative building material. They can be used between studs (non-loadbearing) or load bearing (check the building code in your locale). Bales can be used in new or renovated construction, or as a wrap outside of your building. Clay or lime plaster are applied to seal the walls as base and finish coats. A water-thinned base coat is applied to the straw before applying two coats for leveling the surface. A final coat is applied as the finish coat. Lime can be used as an interior or exterior finish. Clay can be used as an interior finish, and if there is an ample roof overhang as an exterior finish.

For a lime plaster installation: The base coat is a watery mixture of lime and water before applying a lime finish. Lime plaster is a mix of 1 part limestone to 2 parts aggregate sand. Apply two leveling coats before applying the finish coat.

For a clay plaster installation: The base coat is a watery mixture of clay and water before applying a clay finish. Clay mixed with straw adheres well as the second and third coats. Clay mixed with sand makes a smooth final coat.

Allow ample drying time between coats dry enough for the layers to adhere to the straw and not to crack, damp enough for a smooth application.

Pigment from Mushrooms

A full spectrum of colors is available from our fungi friends. Mushroom pigment has excellent colorfastness and lightfastness. Many pigments and species have been identified, but there are always more to be tested. "The Rainbow Beneath My Feet" by Arleen and Alan Bessette is an excellent mushroom pigment identification book.

The properties to qualify whether a species can produce color for dyes and paints are:

1. The mushroom contains pigment.

2. For water-based paints and dyes, the pigment needs to be water-soluble.

3. To use as a dye, the pigment needs to fasten to fiber and be washfast.

4. To use as a dye or paint, the color needs to be lightfast--unless you prefer a weathered-look to the pigment.

Mushrooms are available throughout the year. The best time to find them is one day to three weeks after a heavy rainfall. Many mushrooms grow on or at the base of trees or on decaying tree matter.

Most mushrooms containing pigment are NOT edible. Take precautions when making a dye bath:

1. Keep the dyeing area separate from the cooking area.

2. Use separate pots and utensils specifically for dyeing only.

3. Work outdoors or in a well ventilated space.

4. Keep food, drinks and smoking away from dyes and mordants (mineral salts that fix dyes to fiber).

5. Keep extra water on-hand for flushing or diluting.

6. Wear rubber gloves, goggles and a respiratory mask.

7. Keep dye materials out of the reach of children and pets.

Test the color with strands of wool (or other fiber) to determine whether a mordant is necessary or preferable. The strands will need an identifying knot series no knot for no mordant, one knot for alum, 2 for chrome, 3 for tin, 4 for copper, 5 for iron. (Chrome, tin and copper are not recommended because they have been determined to be toxic.) If the color is lasting, then it is considered substantive and will not need a mordant. Alum is used to brighten a color and to pre-mordant fiber. Iron is used to sadden a color by adding a small amount to a dye bath (too much iron can make the fiber brittle). Prepare several test watches in advance to test mushrooms for color. Knot together each set of wool strands (one with no mordant, one with alum, five with iron). This way you will have fiber ready when you have a mushroom to test.

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