A mix of young Gamble Oak branches, leaves, acorns, and galls gathered on our farm where it grows prolifically. This mix is rich in tannin making it suitable as a pre-alum mordant for cellulose fibers and/or a natural dye. I've worked with this dyestuff several times over the years and have achieved colors ranging from tan to dark browns and grays depending on the amount of dyestuffs used and the mordant. An after bath of iron will shift tans and browns to grays or darker browns. I adore the warm earthy colors this mix yields.
As a pre-alum tannin bath: Set up a tannin bath using 20% WOF and follow this tutorial.
As a Dye: Use Gamble Oak at 50-100% WOF. Pour boiling water over the Gamble Oak and let it sit overnight. The next day bring the heat up to a gentle boil and hold it there for an hour or longer to extract the dye. Strain off the dyestuff and add enough water to the dye liquid to submerge the fibers. Add the fibers, bring the heat up to 180°F and hold it there for an hour. Turn off the heat and let the fibers cool in the dye bath. Steeping overnight will yield darker colors. Treating the dyed fiber in an iron bath at 2-4% WOF will shift the shades to darker values.
Be sure to check out our blog where you will find many free natural dye recipes and tutorials.
Choose from 3 size options in the dropdown menu.
Please wear a dust mask when handling this mix as it contains very finely ground airborne particles.
Foraged and cured by Sara here in southwestern Colorado on Ancient Future Farm. Our family has been tending this land and soil with regenerative growing methods since 2005. Our soil is nurtured through extensive cover cropping and our crops are fertilized with compost that we make right here on site. We never use synthetic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or fungicides. Our dye flowers are harvested every day by hand when they reach their optimal potential and then carefully cured in our curing room out of direct sunlight. All of our natural dyestuffs are packaged in heat sealed envelopes to keep them fresh. For best results we recommend using them within a year.
A mix of young Gamble Oak branches, leaves, acorns, and galls gathered on our farm where it grows prolifically. This mix is rich in tannin making it suitable as a pre-alum mordant for cellulose fibers and/or a natural dye. I've worked with this dyestuff several times over the years and have achieved colors ranging from tan to dark browns and grays depending on the amount of dyestuffs used and the mordant. An after bath of iron will shift tans and browns to grays or darker browns. I adore the warm earthy colors this mix yields.
As a pre-alum tannin bath: Set up a tannin bath using 20% WOF and follow this tutorial.
As a Dye: Use Gamble Oak at 50-100% WOF. Pour boiling water over the Gamble Oak and let it sit overnight. The next day bring the heat up to a gentle boil and hold it there for an hour or longer to extract the dye. Strain off the dyestuff and add enough water to the dye liquid to submerge the fibers. Add the fibers, bring the heat up to 180°F and hold it there for an hour. Turn off the heat and let the fibers cool in the dye bath. Steeping overnight will yield darker colors. Treating the dyed fiber in an iron bath at 2-4% WOF will shift the shades to darker values.
Be sure to check out our blog where you will find many free natural dye recipes and tutorials.
Choose from 3 size options in the dropdown menu.
Please wear a dust mask when handling this mix as it contains very finely ground airborne particles.
Foraged and cured by Sara here in southwestern Colorado on Ancient Future Farm. Our family has been tending this land and soil with regenerative growing methods since 2005. Our soil is nurtured through extensive cover cropping and our crops are fertilized with compost that we make right here on site. We never use synthetic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or fungicides. Our dye flowers are harvested every day by hand when they reach their optimal potential and then carefully cured in our curing room out of direct sunlight. All of our natural dyestuffs are packaged in heat sealed envelopes to keep them fresh. For best results we recommend using them within a year.
