Natural Dyeing Protein Fibers with Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace is at its peak from June-August, so if you want to use it to dye and get that fresh greeny yellow it gives -- almost a neon! -- let's start at the beginning, and go pick some Queen Anne's Lace.

Queen Anne's Lace, an ancestor of our carrot, blooms profusely in the Midwest in June, July, and early August. Do make sure you have permission to gather the plants as it is against the law to pick wildflowers in some areas.

Step 1: Collect Queen Anne's Lace (flowers only) at the peak of bloom - not those that aren't open yet, nor those that are past their prime. The stems, leaves and roots have pigment in them, but not as much as the flowers. Gather enough to have 2 times the dry weight of the fiber you plan to dye (200% dry weight of fiber [dwof]).

Step 2: Process the flowers in a blender, food mill , Cuisinart, or chop finely by hand. This is a non-toxic flower, so you can use your kitchen utensils, provided you clean them thoroughly. However, if you plan to dye, it is essential to have utensils dedicated to dyeing that you do not use for any other purpose.

Step 3: Once the flowers are chopped finely, immerse them in enough water to cover completely, and slowly bring to 180°F - 200°F. Simmer at that temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. Boiling isn't recommended, although I haven't seen it adversely affect the color obtained. (With some dyes, boiling destroys the intended color result.)

After the pot has simmered at the necessary temp for the desired time, let the pot and contents cool, then sieve the contents through a fine cloth (I use an old linen towel), straining out the plant materials and saving the dye liquor. You have just made a dye extract!! This extract can be made 2-3 days in advance, or frozen for longer periods.

Step 4: Mordanting your fibers. Let's talk about the word "mordant", which comes from the French verb mordre, to bite. "A mordant is a substance used in dyeing to fix the coloring matter." Webster's Dictionary. When you mordant, the molecules from the mordant attaches to the fiber molecule. When we dye, the pigment molecules attaches to the mordant molecule.
Protein fibers are derived from animals ( wool, mohair, silk, alpaca, cashmere, angora, etc.). This mordant is only appropriate for those fiber.

First, weigh the fiber you intend to dye. Calculate 10% (1/10th), of the dry weight. This is the amount of alum you will need. A note about alum: you can use the alum you find in the grocery store (spice aisle). However , you may get a stronger result, and it is cheaper, to use aluminium sulfate. I carry it in the shop, e-mail me for details, until I get that web page up.

Next, dissolve the alum or aluminum sulfate in a cup or so of boiling water, then add that solution to a mordant pot. A mordant pot should be big enough to fit all your fiber plus enough space to allow the mordant bath to circulate in and around the fibers. It has to be made of stainless steel or enamelled. A large canning pot works well. A metal pot other than stainless, introduces other metals (mordants), which will change your color result.

Add enough tap water to generously cover the fiber (estimate). This is called a mordant bath.

Wet your fiber in the sink, then immerse it in the mordant bath, add more tap water at this point, if necessary - you want the bath to freely circulate through the fibers. Bring the temperature of the mordant bath up to 180°F - 185°F, and simmer at that temperature for 30 - 60 minutes. Try to keep the pot from boiling, as this can damage fine fibers. Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the temperature.

Once the mordant time is up, you may either dye immediately or wait. If you don't have time to dye right then, you can let the mordant bath cool overnight and leave it for a day or two, but it will mildew and mold if you leave it too long . You can also keep the fibers moist in plastic until you are ready to dye them, or freeze them in plastic for later use. If you let the fibers dry out before dyeing, you will have to mordant again. When you are ready to dye, pour off the water and gently squeeze any extra moisture out of the fibers. DO NOT rinse the fibers! (Do not use the mordant bath water to dye fibers in since some of the alum may still be floating free in the water, and the dyestuff could bond to those molecules as easily as those attached to the fibers.)

Step 5: Pour the dye liquor into a dyepot that holds enough water to generously cover the fibers to be dyed. You can dye in the same pot you mordant in, provided you wash the pot in between. A dyepot must be made of stainless steel or enamelled, for the same reasons the mordant pot should. Add the damp, mordanted fibers, and slowly heat the pot to 185°F. Once it has reached 185 degrees, simmer it at this temperature for 60 minutes, using a candy thermometer clipped to the inside of the pot so that the end of the thermometer is in the liquid. After this time, turn the heat off and allow the dyepot and contents to cool overnight. This gives any pigment that is still floating in the dyebath one last chance to attach to the mordant molecules.

Step 6: Next day remove the fiber from the dyebath and wash it with a pH balanced soap --- Orvus is good, liquid Tide is fine, too. After washing gently (DO NOT AGITATE as this can felt your fibers), rinse well in at least two rinse baths of clear water. Gently squeeze out water, or spin water off in salad spinner or washing machine, and then lay out your wonderful yellow fiber to dry on a flat surface. An old rustproof window screen window is a great drying utensil. This color is light-fast to a great extent, but if you have a shady spot to dry the fibers in, it's always a good idea.

You did it!