Dyeing With Daffodils

Daffodil (nariccus - wild daffodil)

I always think of daffodils as being a harbinger of hope and spring - a little ray of sunshine to brighten the dullest of days. Introduced by the Romans, who believed in their healing powers, daffodils have been seen in English gardens for over 300 years, although commercial farming wasn't started in earnest until much later. They are first referenced in Greek botanical works dating back to 300 BC, so certainly have an extensive heritage!

Nowadays, Cornwall is a major grower of narcissi, harvesting 80% of the cut flowers that are sold globally (source: https://cornwall.uk/ )

For a week or so in this late UK winter time, I have been using some Cornwall grown daffodils from my local newsagent to start a plant dye experiment on silk and string.

 

Daffodil blooms themselves are short-lived, but as a thought prolong the enjoyment of the beautiful colour, use fresh or dried flower heads to make a dye bath.

 
MORDANT - from the French verb, modre - to bite, mordants are metal salts that are used in solution to act as a chemical binder between plant pigment and textile.

Check out the  photo above, a beautiful demonstration of the difference using a mordant makes in the natural dye process. The pale yellow 🌼 was achieved with daffodils and no mordant, the vibrant sunshine ☀️ yellow using silk pre-treated with a mordant - commonly called 'alum' - potassium aluminium sulfate (PAS).  This is the most common of mineral (metal) salts used in mordanting, and used for protein fibres. What are those? Well, they are fibres from animals - which include silk and wool.

Method

You can use deadheaded dafoddils which still have some colour, but may have gone past their best in your garden. Alternatively grab a bunch of daffodils and await their blooms whilst in a jug of water.

Equipment and materials

Plastic, stainless steel or glass pots to soak the fabric in

Utensils (spoons or stirrer) for stirring dye bath and removing dyed items

Health and Safety Note

Health and safety is a very important part of your dye kitchen set up. Most of the plants we use to dye are not edible in their own right (tea is an exception to this rule). Therefore PLEASE FOLLOW the guideliens set out below.

• Store all dyes in clearly marked storage containers, in a dry place out of reach from children and animals.
• Use separate pans and utensils for your dye experientns that for eating
• Work in a well ventilated area and avoid inhaling vapour from the dye pot. Do not eat, drink or smoke whilst working with dyestuff. Protect your skin, clothes and the dyeing area.

• Do not consume the dye liquids and keep them separate from food.
• Handle all chemicals (e.g. baking soda, bleach) with care, and use gloves and aprons as necessary.
• Avoid skin contact and accidental ingestion and inhalation.

• Use appropriate gloves when handling hot saucepans. Large saucepans full of liquid are heavy and it is safer to let the liquid cool down before handling them.
• Dispose of used dyes responsibly.

Preparing Fabrics to Dye

If you are working with old fabrics that have been washed previously, simply soak in cold water and wring out before dying.

If you are using a new textile, wash in a pH neutral detergent /soda ash (use gloves) to remove any dirt, waxes or coatings.

Mordanting (for silk/wool)

Weigh your dry fibre (e.g. the scarf, piece of cloth, ribbon etc)

• Scour the fabric (soak and wash the fibre in a heated vat with pH neutral soap, gently heat to 60 Deg C for approx 1 hour, turn gently)
• Allow fibre to cool down slowly, and then rinse in warm water
• Calculate the amount of mordant and dye stuff you will need.

WOF (Weight Of Fibre):

e.g. 100g

Weight of mordant required

e.g. for silk, using alum at 15% WOF, so 15% of 100 = 15 grams of alum

Method -  mordanting

Dissolve alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) in very hot water in a non-reactive container

Add the dissolved chemical to the dye pot with warm water to cover (around 30:1 ratio water to fibre)

Stir well and add the scoured wet fibre. bring temperature up to 90 deg C, rotate so alum is evenly distributed for an hour

Cool for 20 minutes

Remove fibre from the mordant bath and hang to dry over non-reactive rod/line

Once dry, mordanted yarns and fibres can be stored for a long time

Method - Dyeing

Add hot tap water to the dye pot (enough so that the fibres can move freely)

Add dyestuff - daffodil blooms

Wet the fibres to be added,  and add the cloth (already scoured and mordanted), to the dye pot

Bring to heat slowly (don't boil)

Leave for usually around 1 hour

Turn off heat, allow dye bath to cool slowly

 

(Alternative quick method -

Remove item from dyebath and rinse gently in cold water

 Hang out to dry in sunlight if possible

 

Put a handful of dafoddil flower heads (or more) into a non-reactive vessel and pour over hot water to cover. Just leave for the colour to develop.

The more dafoddil heads you add, you add, the stronger the final colour will be. Leave for up to a day.

Add your fabric as per following instructions, or even with the dafoddil heads if you don't mind an uneven result.

Dyeing Process

Place your items into the dye pot using a spoon (for paper, push down torn strips or squares so that the dye soaks in). It is a good idea to pre-soak larger pieces of fabric in a bowl of cold water first to ensure even dyeing.

Leave for 1/2 hour or more. The longer you leave them, the stronger the colour.
Remove after your desired colour has been achieved and dry natrually

Making Notes

Don’t forget to make notes, take samples, perhaps press a dafoddil bloom as part of your experiments.