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Natural and Wild-Harvested.Shepherd Textiles Wild Madder Extract is made from the roots of wild-harvested rubia tinctorum, the true Turkish madder. The fresh roots are chopped and then steam-extracted to concentrate their natural red dyes. The resulting extract is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and can be used as a dye on organic textiles. |
The Classic Turkish Red.Rubia tinctorum is the source of the intense crimson called "Turkish red" that fascinated dyers for centuries. Raw madder roots contain dozens of dye compounds, which makes it challenge to get clear reds. Using Wild Madder extract makes it possible to achieve the classic Turkish red and deliver bold colors every time. Final color will depend on fiber type, mordanting, and amount of extract used. |
Dye up to a Pound.Wild madder is an extremely powerful natural dye. Just 5% weigh-of-fabric (WOF) is enough to produce strong crimsons and cherry reds on natural fibers like wool, silk, and linen that have been thoroughly mordanted with alum. One ounce will dye up to a pound of fiber to deep red, or up to three pounds of fiber to softer pinks and peaches (final results will depend on fiber type and thoroughness of mordanting). |
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1. Prepare the FibersMadder only adheres well to fibers that have been mordanted with alum*. For protein fibers (wool, silk, alpaca): Pre-mordant with 12% weight-of-fabric (WOF) alum. Fill dyepot with hot water. Weigh out alum, add, and stir until dissolved. Add pre-soaked fiber, heat to 170F for an hour, then allow to cool to room temperature. Remove fibers and dispose of mordant liquid according to local regulations. For cellulose fibers (cotton, linen): Cellulose fibers will benefit from being pre-treated with a tannin like Sumac Extract so they will absorb alum more effectively. Treat according to manufacturers directions. Afterwards, mordant as described above. *Always wear gloves and eye protection when working with mordants or mordant liquor. |
2. Make the DyebathFill your dyepot with warm water. Adjust the PH to 5 using white vinegar. If you dont have PH strips, just add a tablespoon of vinegar to approximate a slightly acidic dyebath. Weigh out 5% weight-of-fabric (WOF) of Wild Madder Extract. Put it in a disposable cup and mix with a little hot water to make a thin slurry. Be sure to break up any clumps of powder, otherwise they may cause splotches on your fabric. Pour the slurry into the dyebath and mix well. You are now ready for dyeing. CAUTION: Madder can stain metal, even stainless steel. Always use a dyepot and utensils dedicated to dyeing. Do not use any utensils that will be used for food preparation. If your dyepot does get stained, you can scrub out it with a scouring pad. |
3. Heat to 180°FPlace your pre-mordanted, pre-soaked fiber into the dyebath. Make sure there is plenty of water for everything to move around freely. Heat to 180F for two and a half hours. Stir gently every 20 minutes to make sure fiber dyes evenly. Be careful not to agitate wool too much, otherwise it may felt. A cheap candy thermometer that clips to the side of the dyepot will make it much easier to keep the temperature steady. After 2.5 hours, remove dye pot from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. |
4. Rinse and DryCarefully remove dyed fiber. You can either hang it up to dry to help the color set, or proceed immediately to rinsing. Rinse thoroughly with a PH-neutral fabric detergent according to manufacturers directions. Use plenty of detergent; it will not remove color that has already bonded to the fiber. After rinsing, squeeze gently to make sure water runs clear. Hang up to dry. CAUTION: Natural dyes like madder will bleed if the fiber is not thoroughly rinsed after dyeing. |
Royal Logwood Extract | Mulberry Leaf Extract | Cochineal Extract | Marigold Extract | Indigo Extract | Sappanwood Extract | |
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Highlights | Intense royal purples. With different mordants it can also produce denim blues or even true black. Royal Logwood is the most powerful extract available--just 1%-2% WOF produces deep, dark purples. | A range of natural greens, from pale jades to dark forest greens. Extracted from the natural chlorophyll in mulberry leaves. | Beautiful pinks, intense fuchsias, and cherry and crimsons reds. Changing the PH of the dyebath will yield a range of different colors. | Clear, intense yellows. Has an affinity for hard-to-dye fibers like alpaca and cotton. Extracted from edible marigold blossoms. | The strongest natural blue dye. Produces anything from pale sky blues to dark denim blues. Sustainably produced; the extracted leaves are composted as fertilizer for the next crop. | Yummy candy-colored reds and pinks, or shift the color to mulberry purple with a copper mordant. A strong dye that can be used for multiple dye baths. |
French Weld Extract | Cutch Extract | Himalayan Rhubarb Extract | Cape Jasmine Extract | Old Fustic Extract | Lac Resin Extract | |
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Highlights | The brightest of the natural yellow dyes. Powerful and lightfast, grown organically in the Languedoc region of southern France. | Rich cinnamon browns that can shift to chocolate with the addition of iron. Strong, lightfast colors, and tannic enough to perform well on cellulose fibers like cotton. | Warm golden yellows that shift toward brick red with the addition of an alkaline modifier. | Bright sky blues on protein fibers like silk and wool. The only natural blue textile dye that doesnt require an indigo vat. | Powerful, bright oranges with a golden tint. The most tannic of the natural orange and yellow dyes, perfect for dyeing cotton. | Deep burgundy reds and rich merlot purples--all the colors of red wine. |