How do I care for my natural dyed and/or silk products?
All natural silks can be handwashed, and all my naturally dyed colours can be handwashed. Silk should not be dry cleaned, contrary to labels. I wash all my clothes, all silks, in the washing machine, gentle cycle, with warm water and a neutral dishwashing detergent such as crystal white or ivory.

Can I use your dyes to make soap/candles/etc?
We carry only one dye that is soluble in oil or fat, which gives a bright orange in oil: Annatto (Bixa) Natural Dye. The rest of our dyes are water-soluble. If you can find Alkanet, an herb, it will give violet shading into pinks, depending on pH.
If you can use water extracts, all the regular dyes just need to be boiled in water to make the extract, but I don't know what happens when they add the fat. It may all separate, or it may work fine. No one has done the experimentation yet.

Can you mordant (cold method) or dye in galavanized tubs?
I wouldn't recommend it for bright colours, though it might work - I've never tried it. The biggest problem is heating, as galvanized vessels are usually so thin, the heat source might burn a hole in the bottom quite quickly. If you're not heating it, it's better to just use plastic, as the zinc in the galvanizing would dull colours.

What is soda ash and where can I get it?
Soda ash is sodium carbonate or washing soda. Some art supply stores sell it. We also sell it: washing soda/soda ash. It is not the same as baking soda. Don't use Arm and Hammer washing soda from the grocery store, as it is not pure and contains bleach and perfumes.

With indigo dyeing, do you have to grind the wheat bran to a powder? And why do you put madder in the indigo dye vat?
Wheat bran does not have to be ground, it just speeds up the process. The madder root you may want to grind. Madder provides the enzyme that creates the fermentation that deoxidizes the indigo. The deoxidized indigo dissolves in the alkaline soda ash and then it can enter the fiber.

My colour's not coming out deep enough. I'm going for a bright deep red (think Santa Claus) with madder, cochineal, red sandalwood and Logwood.
First suggestion would be to heat the bath. Second would be to mordant and dye in separate baths. Cochineal works OK as one bath, but the others will "lake up" (mordant and dye combine - but not on the fibre!). Third is check your amounts. For bright red on wool I'd expect to use 100% madder plus 30-50% cochineal; or 100 to 200% Brazilwood (I don't know for red sandalwood, but expect the same). The Logwood would be counter productive to a bright tone, but would help a rich deep tone.