Ready to dive into natural dyeing? Welcome to The Apothecary! Here you'll find our line of natural dyes, mordants, and tools to get you started on your dyeing journey.
7 products
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Weld (Reseda Luteola) dye is a renowned plant-based colourant with a rich history. Together with other natural sources such as Madder, Woad, and Dyer's Chamomile, it produces high-quality dyes suitable for temperate regions. In fact, the iconic medieval shades of Saxon green and Lincoln green were achieved by over-dyeing weld yellow with woad blue. Legend has it that Lincoln green was the preferred hue of Robin Hood's legendary band of outlaws. Reseda is often used to overdye blues, resulting in stunning and lively greens.
Colour fastness: excellent
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Recipe Downloadable PDF ~ Reseda
Basic Recipe:
100% Reseda
7% Soda Ash
Wool (mordanted with Alum)
Soak Reseda in Dye pot with Soda Ash overnight.
Bring to a simmer for 1 hour.
Strain through Cloth, put to the side.
Add wool to the dye pot and simmer gently for 1 hour.
*For a paler yellow add the dye bag to the 2nd bath and add the next lot of mordanted yarn.
**The same bath can be used up to 3 times.
Organic *ground, **cut or whole Hibiscus flowers
Cultivated in Egypt.
When using ground Hibiscus, use 50% of dye, according to the weight of the dry fabric/fibre for a light purple hue on wool and deep pinks or green with various mordants. For cut or whole Hibiscus, use 75-100% of dye based on the weight of the dry fabric/fibre. Colour fastness is poor and purple tones may shift to green, if exposed to high levels of pH.
PH sensitivity makes it a fun dye for children's activities and hobby dyers, who don't mind colour shifts or poor fastness.
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Basic Recipe:
This dye will need a mordant, Alum, when dyeing wool.
10-15% of Alum.
Mordanted fabric or yarn, 50% - 100% hibiscus dye.
RHUBARB ROOT ~ Dye Colour depending on pH and mordant: yellow brown, green with iron and pink with Soda Ash.
Country of Collection: China
Rhubarb is a remarkable plant, known for its large size and delicious stalks and roots that can be used to create three beautiful colors. However, it is important to note that only the green and yellow shades will maintain their colour due to the high tannin content.
Colour fastness green and yellow: Good
Colour fastness pink to red: Poor
Ph sensitive - high Ph will turn colour to red
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Recipe for wool fibres: Downloadable PDF
Recipe for Plant Fibres: Downloadable PDF
Basic recipe:
100% cut Rhubarb or 50% ground Rhubarb
Wool (mordanted with Alum)
Optional:
3-5% Iron or
15% Soda Ash
ORGANIC WHOLE ELDERBERRIES (Sambucci Nigri)
Cut Organic Elderberries are Cultivated in Poland
for a light purple colour on wool and silk as well as green when using Soda Ash - Ph sensitive, not wash or light fast. Great for kids and hobby dyers.
Use 75-100% of dye according to the weight of the dry fabric/fibre you would like to dye.
ORGANIC SAGE OFFICINALIS CUT ~ Dye Colour greenish yellow and green.
Country of Origin: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Fine for consumption
Salvia officinalis is a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae and native to the Mediterranean region. The plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.
Sage has been used since ancient times and can be eaten, used in herbal medicine and dyeing.
Sage can be used fresh and dry.
Colour fastness: Good - Excellent
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Also available as dye kit
Basic recipe:
100% Sage
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted with Alum)
ORGANIC NETTLES ~ Used as herb and dye. Dye Colour yellow and green.
Country of Origin: Hungary
Urtica Fol. Organic, often known as common nettle, stinging nettle or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe it has now spread worldwide.
Nettles have been used since ancient times and can be eaten, are used in herbal medicine and dyeing.
Nettles can be used fresh and dry - similar to Lovage, the best results are achieved with fresh plants, but dried plant material works well as well.
Colourfastness: medium
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Basic recipe:
100-200% Nettle (100% if using fresh only)
3-5% Iron
Wool (mordanted 10% Alum)
Line the pot with a cloth. Fill the pot half with water and add the nettle.
Bring to about 85-95 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.
Tie dye in Cloth and leave in bath.
Add wool and simmer gently for 1 hour.
Add 3% -5% iron to the dye bath to turn it green.
Remove after about 10min, rinse & dry.
Organic European Solidago ~ Dye Colour: yellow, orange and green
Our Solidago or Goldenrod in the common tongue, is organically grown and harvested in Europe, Poland.
Solidago, commonly called goldenrod, is a genus of about 100 to 120 species of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in open areas such as meadows, prairies, and savannas. They are mostly native to North America, including Mexico; a few species are native to South America and Eurasia. Some American species have also been introduced into Europe and other parts of the world. (wikipedia)
Colourfastness: medium - good
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Basic Recipe for yellow:
100% Solidago
wool (Alum mordant 10%)
Soak the leaves for a day or overnight before using.
Boil the soaked leaves for one hour and drain.
Simmer yarn for up to one hour. Rinse and dry.
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