SAFFLOWER DYE (Carthamus tinctorius)
Dye Colour: Soft Yellow and Red | Country of Collection: Iran
Safflower, a thistle-like plant native to arid environments, offers a stunning soft yellow and red dye, making it a great choice for dyeing natural fibres like linen and cotton. While it produces a warm red, the process to extract this colour is intricate, requiring extended soaking, kneading, and rinsing. By adjusting the pH and repeating these steps, you can achieve a richer red tone on plant-based fibres. This lengthy process is well worth the effort for those seeking vibrant hues, especially for linen, cotton, and other plant fibres.
Colour Fastness: Poor to Medium
Colour Outcomes by WOF Ratio:
- 100% WOF Dye (Safflower): Soft yellow tones for protein fibres.
- After removal of the yellow dye: Richer red tones for plant-based fibres.
Basic Recipe for Yellow:
Ingredients:
- 100g Safflower
- 100g mordanted yarn/fibre (Alum 15g)
Instructions:
- Soak the Safflower dye in water overnight.
- Bring the dye pot to a simmer for 1 hour.
- Strain the dye through cloth and add mordanted yarn or fibre to the dye bath.
- Simmer for 1 hour and rinse to reveal a soft yellow colour.
Notes:
- Yellow is ideal for protein fibres, red for cellulose only.
- For richer red tones: Repeat soaking, kneading, and rinsing in a high pH environment.
- Safflower produces a softer, warm yellow dye but can yield red after more intensive preparation.
Embrace the natural beauty of Safflower dye and create stunning, soft yellow and red tones for your textile or paper projects.
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