I frequently receive questions regarding the colorfastness of natural dyes with an underlying assumption that they’re inferior to synthetic dyes. Questions such as: Do naturally dyed colors bleed and rinse away when washed? Do the colors fade quickly? How long does the color last? Although these questions are fair enough, considering the long history of natural dyes and the short yet destructive history of synthetic dyes, I’m always taken aback and surprised by them.
The advent of synthetic dyes occurred less than 200 years ago in 1856 when William Henry Perkin was attempting to synthesize quinine to treat malaria. During this process, he accidentally created the world’s first synthesized dye and changed the trajectory of the fashion and textile industry forever. Before synthetic dyes existed, there were only natural dyes for tens of thousands of years. All textiles such as rugs, quilts, tapestries, clothing, knitted and woven goods, etc. that predate 1856 (that wasn’t very long ago : ) were created with naturally dyed fibers.
There’s plenty of evidence that natural dyes are capable of producing complex beautiful colors and that the colors can be stable and lasting. Not every natural dyestuff yields equally stable results, but we have proof of the ones that produce the most lasting results. Natural dyes have already stood the test of time.
Fabrics I naturally dyed waiting to be rinsed. Regardless of whether a fabric has been dyed with synthetic or natural dyes, it must be rinsed well after dying to remove any excess unattached dye. If the fabric isn’t properly rinsed the unattached color will “bleed” out and potentially ruin a finished textile.
Synthetic dyes have been wreaking havoc on waterways and ecosystems since they were first introduced. At the rate they’re being used and discharged into waterways it won’t be possible for them to stand the test of time because they’ll destroy the environment before then. Synthetic dyes are unable to degrade—they’re not biodegradable—so once they’re introduced into waterways they’re there for an incredibly long time. The pollution doesn’t remain in waterways, it goes from water to soil where it infiltrates into all living systems and beings because these life-sustaining systems are interconnected. What we do to one living system we do to all. When considering these impacts we need to change the way we think about synthetic dyes. I don’t mean that we should simply cancel synthetic dyes and fibers only to switch production over to natural dyes and fibers. We need to slow the production cycles altogether and prioritize need over want. Ultimately we need to stop buying things we don’t need. We can’t keep producing and consuming goods at the rate we’re used to. There’s no sustainable way to do that!
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPERMANENCE
Natural fibers are impermanent and that’s a beautiful and important thing. A quilt for example if used every day, will last a few decades at best. After years of use, exposure to light, and many washes, the fiber will begin to deteriorate as much as the color will whether the quilt was dyed with natural or synthetic dyes. When natural fibers degrade beyond repair, they can be composted and returned to the nutrient cycle to offer fertility for the next generation of crops. It’s a great thing that natural fibers can degrade!
The overwhelming majority of fibers produced today are synthetic, made from fossil fuels which can only be dyed with synthetic dyes. Natural dyes cannot penetrate plastic fibers. Natural dyes resist and reject plastic and we should too because these fibers will remain on the earth for hundreds of years slowly breaking down to become chemical-leaching toxic waste and microplastic. There’s an alarming amount of microplastics in the oceans and soil, and the problem is getting worse every day as more plastic continues to be produced at an ever-accelerating rate.
We must dispose of the dominant culture’s destructive, disposable way of living that has been enforced on the Earth, the people of the Earth, all living beings, and interconnected ecosystems for far too long—our synthetic culture so to speak!—and create a new way of existing. There are Indigenous societies all over the world that have resisted and rejected an existence detached from nature. Their existence does not require destroying living ecosystems and is based on oneness with nature, reciprocity, and regeneration. We need a profound collective paradigm shift of consciousness. We can start by changing the way we think about seemingly small concepts such as natural dye inferiority. There are no simple answers to the questions about natural dyes in the context of colorfastness but there are factors to consider. Let’s begin with some basic definitions.
COLORFASTNESS & STABILITY
Defined by Merriam-Webster: having color that retains its original hue without fading or running
Colorfastness is an umbrella term that means a dye color is both lightfast and washfast. Lightfast means that a color is resistant to fading or discoloration by exposure to sunlight. Washfast means that a color is resistant to running, fading, and discoloration by washing. Stability is another word for colorfastness and I use both terms interchangeably. I think it’s important to mention here that no dye color whether synthetic or natural, is capable of being absolutely stable/colorfast. When exposed to prolonged direct south-facing sunlight or copious washing all dyed goods will fade to varying degrees.
NOT ALL NATURAL DYES ARE EQUALLY STABLE
Not all natural dyestuffs are equally colorfast. Some produce more stable results than others. I don’t know enough about synthetic dyes, but the same may also be true for them. There is plenty of historical evidence to show us which natural dyes yield lasting results. Indigo, madder, cochineal, and weld are but a few examples of natural dyes that have been used historically since ancient times to create lasting colors. In my medium of quilt-making, I choose to work with the most colorfast dyestuffs. On the other hand, when I’m dyeing an object such as a garment, I’m not concerned as much about colorfastness because a garment can be dyed and over-dyed many times if it fades. Colorfastness is an important aspect of my quilt-making work but not every modern natural dyer needs to be concerned with optimal colorfastness.
Some modern natural dyers prefer to work exclusively with locally foraged dyestuffs. When working with foraged raw materials such as roots, bark, flowers, etc., the dyer must extract the dye from the dyestuff usually by boiling it in water. On the other end of this spectrum, some modern natural dyers prefer to work with purchased natural dye extracts. When working with extracts, the job of extracting the dye from the dyestuff has already been done. Extracts come in a powdered or liquid form and the dyer simply adds water for a ready-to-go dye bath. Extracts are like the ramen noodles of the natural dye world whereas raw dyestuffs are more like a homecooked meal that takes time to prepare. I bring this up only to point out that colorfastness has nothing to do with whether a dyestuff is foraged, grown, or purchased. A foraged dyestuff can be more stable than a purchased dyestuff and vice versa. Just because it comes from a store doesn't mean it’s more stable.
TECHNIQUE
Natural dye stability is dependent on proper technique. The natural dye process is alchemical and several process steps must be done correctly to ensure the most colorfast results. The processes are not difficult but require following directions like you would when following a recipe in the kitchen. It takes some practice before a natural dyer may achieve even and stable results. It took me many years before I felt confident that the colors I was achieving were stable.
Unlike synthetic dyes, most natural dyes require a mordant procedure before applying dye which allows the fiber to accept the dye and ensures the results will be permanent. During the early Industrial Revolution, toxic metal mordants were being used to create certain colors. These heavy metal mordants such as copper, chrome, tin, and even lead are extremely toxic to environments and all life and should never be used. Such heavy metals are in most cases more toxic than synthetic dyes. Modern natural dyers typically use alum which is relatively low impact environmentally but problematic in that it’s mined from topsoil. I’m currently experimenting with symplocos, a renewable plant-derived mordant that is yielding promising results. The prospect of a renewable alum mordant that doesn’t require mining and can be composted is very exciting.
Different natural fiber types require different mordanting procedures, and some natural dyestuff requires different extraction methods. Some dyestuffs require specific temperatures, and some are pH-sensitive. Some do better in hard water, but most do best in soft water. What minerals are present or not present in the water will affect the color outcome. There’s no one-size-fits-all method when working with natural dyes, so natural dyers have to get to know the different dyestuffs by reading about them and by working and experimenting with them. If the procedures are done correctly, and the dyer chooses to work with colorfast dyes, then the results will be permanent. Basically like so many things, you’ve gotta put the time in to achieve amazing results. Synthetic dyes on the other hand don’t have many variables and provide more predictable results which is why they were so appealing to the industrial processing systems in the first place. Factories could scale up their production and churn out textile goods at a much faster rate, unfortunately with very little concern about the environmental effects.
In conclusion, stable naturally dyed colors are important to me but equally important is that the fibers and dyes at the end of their time will return to the earth as compost and help improve life rather than poison it. The process of making a quilt from scratch from colors I’ve grown is very slow. There’s no way it can be done quickly and that’s just one of the many aspects I love about it. There’s joy, connection, and fulfillment to be found in these slow processes.
If you’re interested in learning more about working with natural dyes, I wrote a series of blog posts about how to scour, mordant, and dye cellulose fabrics for you to reference. I also wrote a book Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy that goes a lot more in depth about these processes. In my book, I share 20 of my favorite colorfast dye formulas that are suitable for making quilts, and the book also explains how to make a quilt from scratch.
