• preparing the dyes

The dyes set up are as follows from left to right:

Iron which turns the fustic yellow to a soft green, the logwood purple to black, and the brazilwood red to burgundy.

Fustic wood Extract which is a bright yellow to golden colour, and when added to iron will turn a lovely mossy green

Brazilwood is a reddish pink, to get red it must be very strong, and when dipped in the iron solution can turn a deep red to burgundy.

Logwood is usually a reddish colour when first extracted and needs ammonia added to create a dark grapejuice colour.

The cup on the left is filled with raw logwood extract, and the cup on the right is the treated logwood at the proper colour.

TO PREPARE THE DYES:

The Fabric: Mordant the fabric using alum according to the recipe given in the kit.

Logwood: Boil the logwood shavings in water for approximately 20 minutes per extraction, you can extract the logwood shavings more than once, the dye will be a bit less potent each time though. Strain the dye into a small plastic bucket.

Brazilwood: Follow the same directions for extraction of logwood but do not treat the Brazilwood with ammonia. If you are using the brazilwood extract, sprinkle a heaping tablespoonful into the water and mix together.

Fustic Extract: When using the fustic extract, you control how strong the dye will be. Typically for one quart of water, use one tablespoon fabric, but it can be stronger or weaker depending on your preference.

Iron: Sprinkle one heaping tablespoonful into warm water and mix thoroughly.

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