Getting Started with Natural Dyeing
Everything you need to know to start dyeing fabric with Natural Dyes!!!
Free eBook ~ Getting Started with Natural Dyeing
How to Scour Cotton Cloth
Scouring Fabric
Kimberly Baxter Packwood © 2001
When working with any mordant or dye powder always wear a respirator with fresh filters.
NOTE: Any dyeing equipment used in natural dyeing, should never ever be used or reused for the preparation, storage or cooking of food or beverages.
What Scouring Does:
Scouring fabric is easy and will ensure excellent dye uptake every time.
Scouring is a two step process, both steps must be followed if you wish to acquire the greatest depth of color.
Scouring fabric removes the grease, dust, dirt and grime that fabrics encountered during the manufacturing process and transit.
How to Scour Your Fabric:
Simply wash your fabric, this includes PFD fabric, in the washing machine in hot water with Soda Ash. Do not add any fabric softeners to the wash. If you must dry your fabric do so without any fabric softener sheets
NOTE: Fabric softeners interfere with both natural and synthetic dye uptake.
Using an large enamel or stainless steel pot, fill the pot at least half full and place one ounce of soda ash into the pot per pound of cotton or linen fabric/fiber.
Place fabric into water, swish it around using a stainless steel spoon.
Bring water to a boil!!!
Adjust heat to a low boil/hard simmer and allow to boil for two hours. stir the fabric every 15 minutes or so t make sure that the fabric is being adequately scoured
After two hours remove from heat source, allow fabric to cool down until the fabric is at room temperature.
Remove the fabric from the water and rinse.
NOTE: If the water is brown or grey replace the water & soda ash mixture with fresh water and soda ash and re-scour the fabric, it is not clean yet. repeat this process until the fabric rinses clean and the scour water is only mildly dirty.
Your fabric is now ready to be Mordanted & Dyed!
Kimberly Baxter Packwood © 2001
When working with any mordant or dye powder always wear a respirator with fresh filters.
NOTE: Any dyeing equipment used in natural dyeing, should never ever be used or reused for the preparation, storage or cooking of food or beverages.
What Scouring Does:
Scouring fabric is easy and will ensure excellent dye uptake every time.
Scouring is a two step process, both steps must be followed if you wish to acquire the greatest depth of color.
Scouring fabric removes the grease, dust, dirt and grime that fabrics encountered during the manufacturing process and transit.
How to Scour Your Fabric:
Simply wash your fabric, this includes PFD fabric, in the washing machine in hot water with Soda Ash. Do not add any fabric softeners to the wash. If you must dry your fabric do so without any fabric softener sheets
NOTE: Fabric softeners interfere with both natural and synthetic dye uptake.
Using an large enamel or stainless steel pot, fill the pot at least half full and place one ounce of soda ash into the pot per pound of cotton or linen fabric/fiber.
Place fabric into water, swish it around using a stainless steel spoon.
Bring water to a boil!!!
Adjust heat to a low boil/hard simmer and allow to boil for two hours. stir the fabric every 15 minutes or so t make sure that the fabric is being adequately scoured
After two hours remove from heat source, allow fabric to cool down until the fabric is at room temperature.
Remove the fabric from the water and rinse.
NOTE: If the water is brown or grey replace the water & soda ash mixture with fresh water and soda ash and re-scour the fabric, it is not clean yet. repeat this process until the fabric rinses clean and the scour water is only mildly dirty.
Your fabric is now ready to be Mordanted & Dyed!