"BRILLIANT COLORS WITH NATURAL DYES" - a practical approach to Natural Dyework
Tutorial: How To Use Natural Dyes
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| Fusticwood on assorted silks. Left to Right: AS# 141, 142, 143, 144, 133, 132, 130, 131 |
One of the classic Natural Dyes. The dyestuff is the heartwood of a tropical tree related to the mulberry. It gives bright clear yellow with alum; a rosy toned yellow with tin, (the color I call AURORA); gold with chrome; and soft greens from sage through forest with iron and/or copper after mordants.
4 oz |
8 oz |
1 lb |
1 kilo |
The trees from which this dyestuff has been harvested have grown up wild in the CaribbeanIsland of the Dominican Republic. No tree is cut down for the harvest: only a large side branch is taken. All heartwood from the center of this branch is cleaned and planed by hand. All sales of this dyewood benefit the harvesters, who are some of the few remaining descendants of the original Taino peoples of that island.
The Logwood Project is an effort by Cheryl Kolander as "Mama D.O.C." Inc., Non-Profit for Natural Health, to bring some income to this segment of extremely poor and over exploited humanity. Read about the history of this project at www.mamadoc.org.
Dyeing with the wood shavings yields much brighter and clearer colours than using the extract.
Fustic, whether wood or extract, is an excellent dye for all natural fibers: silk, cotton, wool, hemp and all exotics.
Pictured below is a lovely Golden Gown, dyed with Fustic on Ahimsa Pebble Weave by Cheryl Kolander; design and execution by Lindsey Pellicola, 2008. 
Cheryl's Beginner’s Natural Dye kit : contains 8 oz Fusticwood shavings, along with Logwood and Brazilwood, Iron and Alum mordants and instructions to dye yellows, soft greens, purple, greys, red and maroon.
100% of all purchases go to "Mama D.O.C." Inc., Non-Profit :
to benefit the Logwood Project, the Artist Empowerment Project, the Women's Indigo Farm in Central America, and the promotion of PEACE SILK.
The extract is commercially prepared in thick liquid form. Good for brassy golds and soft, rich greens with either Logwood and iron, or Indigo.
The mill making this has gone out of business. Our last remaining stock is offered for research purposes:
| 1 oz |
4 oz |
1 lb |
1 kilo |
Fusticwood is a tropical Central American/Caribbean tree whose heartwood produces a clear and fast yellow. Aurora Silk offers these finest-quality shavings from trees sustainably harvested in the Dominican Republic. Proceeds benefit the Logwood Project's efforts to promote and sustain traditional lifestyle values amongst the Taino descendants of the island.
Fusticwood is more costly than Logwood because the trees are rarer, the percentage of heartwood (the dyewood) is less, and over 30% of the weight is lost in drying (compared with an average 20% with the Logwood).
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