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Natural
Dye System
After years
of looking for a quality natural dye we have found it in the E-color
system. Consisting of 5 colors; cochineal, madder, osage, cutch
and indigo. We are selling a highly concentrated dye paste and/or
powder. Each small jar can easily dye 2-5 lbs of fabric. The indigo
is the first to be sold pre-reduced. This eliminates the use of
lye (sodium hydroxide) and allows for the use of safe mordants
and chemicals like soda ash, alum, sodium bicarbonate, sodium
hydrosulfate and hydrogen peroxide.
Natural dyes
are well known for their beautiful colors. Devotees of natural
dyes talk about the subtleties and complexities of the colors.
The dyeing technique has evolved over thousands of years of use,
but the basic process remains. First the dyer mordants the fabric
and then dyes the fabric. Traditionally, the mordant phase was
complex. Different mordants gave different colors. There are different
mordants for different dyes or different fabrics. Despite being
natural dyes, mordants used were often toxic. Also, the dyes themselves
were essentially a bunch of bark or bags of seeds that had to
be boiled or chemically treated to extract the color. The strength
and hue of these colors from plant or animal materials varied
a lot from time to time or from batch to batch. In modern times,
dyers interested in using natural dye materials are developing
concentrates so that one can use them the same way one would dye
with chemical dyes. What we offer here are concentrated natural
dyes. The E-Color Natural Dye System offers the dyer
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Introduction
Dear Readers,
I guess I'll
start off with one word, "procrastination". That would
explain the absence of more regular emails or newsletters.
With the summer finally over, I guess real work has
to continue and start again for our busy fall season.
We have just finished another successful Creative
Sewing and Needlework Show here in Toronto. Everyone
loved our new brocades; so much so, some have sold
out before I have had a chance to announce them. You'll
notice a slew of new products, books and workshops.
We're especially excited by the new E-color Natural
Dyes (see article). If you're in the mood to learn
we have two guest teachers this season in Pam Woodward
and Jan Peason, along with expanded topics taught
by Erin Hickey and myself (see last page for full
details on workshops).
Until next
edition
Dixon
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ease of use: a single
mordant for all colors and crystalline natural dye extracts.
The dyes are of the highest quality and their production
process conforms to ecologically sound methods.
Pre-Reduced Indigo
The indigo blue
color has played an important role in several cultures throughout
history. There are an astounding number of books that are
just devoted to this one dye. The famous Blue Men of Morocco
are a north African tribe who dress from head to toe in
indigo dyed fabric.
Traditionally natural
indigo takes a considerable amount of effort to get it into
a working dye bath. First off, it is not soluble in water.
So you need to reduce it chemically with sodium hydrosulfate
and lye. It is very involved and can be time consuming.
As an alternative, we have a pre-reduced indigo. You still
need to add Sodium Hydrosulfite, but
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the lye is replaced
by Sodium Carbonate. It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare
the dye bath and you get the same unique results as with
the regular indigo.
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Size |
Price |
| Cochineal |
1/2oz |
$22.95 |
| Madder |
3/4oz |
$15.95 |
| Osage |
3/4oz |
$21.95 |
| Cutch |
1.5oz |
$6.95 |
| Indigo |
20gm |
$7.95 |
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225gm |
$45.95 |
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| Ecowet |
250mL |
$5.95 |
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1.0L |
$15.00 |
| Mordant |
250gm |
$7.50 |
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500gm |
$12.00 |
| Hydrogen Peroxide |
60mL |
$3.00 |
| Sodium Hydrosulfite |
100gm |
$4.95 |
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500gm |
$18.95 |
| G&S TNA
Soap |
60mL |
$1.75 |
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250mL |
$4.00 |
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1.0L |
$8.50 |
To
see or download the instruction sheets, please see our web
site or call for more information. PDF FILE
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