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PROCESS
This is the basic process, although there are slight variations depending on either the dyes or fabrics used.
For this explanation we used Himalayan Rhubarb on cotton.
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Raw material: Padamchaal (Himalayan Rhubarb)
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Preparation
-Soak the powdered raw material in water for a day.
-Disolve the the crushed alum in water and boil. The fabric for dyeing is then added.
-Soak the Ritha(soap nuts) in water for a day and heat just before use.
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Extracting the colour from our chosen dyestuff was probably the most time consuming of all the stages.
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Boil the water and raw material mix for about 30min. Some dyestuffs may require boiling for a longer period of time.
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Filter the raw material with a thin cotton cloth after the mix has cooled slighty. It is important to remove all powdered dyestuff from the dye bath.
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Put the mordanted fabric into the dye bath, and stir gently to dye evenly. There must be plenty of room for the fabric to move freely in the dye bath. |
Stir the Ritha water to create a lather. This will need to be refreshed regularly if dying a large quantity of fabric.
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Take the fabric out of the dye bath and wash with Ritha water and rince a few times before a thorough rinse in just water prior to drying. |
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It is highly recommended that fabrics should not be put out to dry in direct sunlight as this will effect the colour.
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It is harder work, takes much longer and costs more than synthetic dyes. But once we went through the whole process, we saw our achievements and were amazed by the colours. |
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