vegetables dyes

 

>> studio'shop

 

 

fra-joséphine® 2016

To the workshop we use only textile materials stemming from natural fibers: flax, hemp, cotton, wool or silk sometimes mixed between. They are carefuly chosen with French weavers who still work to make an higt-quality products and to value her own production. They are not really fragile fabrics but they require appropriate care, according to the fibers' nature and the vegetable dyes.These natural colour extracts that I use to dye and make the printed inks, are chosen for several reasons :

- the historic and geographical rooting. Even if some have a distant origin (indigo, red wood extracts, cochineal...), they are all within the framework of a tradional custom become patrimonial.

- the ecological side concerning the extracts manufacturing process (label GOTS), the details of implementation of the dyes or the inks preparation in the course of which any noxious substance are never used.

- their resistance to washing, their fastness to light (see the care instructions below)

- and last but not least, for the beauty and the subtle shade they give.

The principal colorants used to the workshop are: madder-root to make red, pink, vermilon, pinky beige, glace brown..., weld extract, European bucktorn (Rhamnus extract) or Solidago (Golden Rod) to make yellow, kaki and all green in combination with blue, woad (Isatis tinctoria from Europe) and indigo (Indigofera Tinctoria from India ) to make blue, tannin wood (oak, chessnut...) to make beige, grey, brown, red-wood and cochineal (animal colour extract) to make violet, grey, fushia or mauve.

 

Comment on the indigo dye

All blue and green are made with woad or indigo which are vegetable pigment. The scattering of the pigment on skin or clothes is normal, innocuos and easily invertible with a simple soaping. This phenomenon reduces with use during the fabric 's life. We have to note that indigo is used in traditional medicine in numerous countries; it is good for skin and not allergenic.

 

Care advice

Organic dyes that we have selected are colorfast but not indelebile ! They require a few simple precaution to ensure their sustainability:

- do not expose to the sun your vegetable dyed textile

- we recommend washing by hand or machine, short time programm up to 30° with a mild detergent without bleaches or optical brighteners. You can use biological detergents for colour, wool or delicate fabrics, but never use washing-powder, not organic washing-powder either !

- we also recommend a shade drying.