One plant for two shades of natural colors
Also known as black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia is an excellent plant for botanical dyeing. With just one plant, you can obtain shades of pink, yellow, and even green.
This color variability is explained by the diversity of its chemical components, all of wich belonging to the flavonoid family of yellows. However, a high concentration of anthocyanins in the flowers explains the shades of pink.
The rudbeckia is suitable for all types of fibers, both animal and plant, with any natural mordants. However, rudbeckia prefers animal fibers, especially silk.
1. Pick rudbeckia for natural dyeing
With its stiff stems pointing toward the sun and the vibrant yellow-orange of its petals surrounding a domed crimson-brown heart, it shows a sense of self-confidence.
A member of the Asteraceae family and native to the United States and Mexico, Rudbeckia is an undemanding perennial that thrives in even the poorest soils. It tolerates drought relatively well and flourishes when it receives ample sunlight. If it is doing well, it will spread readily.
You can pick it all summer long. The entire plant is collected.
You then separate the flowers from the stems and leaves to make two different dyes : yellows and greens with the finely chopped stems and leaves, and purplish-pink from the whole flowers.
Not intended for drying, Rudbeckia can be used as a fresh dye. For vibrant colors, a heavy weight of the plant is recommended (600 to 800% of the weight of the fiber to be dyed). This is relatively easy to obtain, as the flowers are quite heavy.
2. How to dye with Rudbeckia?
Mordanting is necessary before dyeing with rudbeckia. I use the usual natural processes: symplocos (link in french) or more experimental processes such as beetroot leaves or birch bark. The mordanting method described for madder dyeing should be applied.
After mordanting, rudbeckia dyeing is a two-stage process.
2.1. Decoction to Extract Rudbeckia Dye
- Make two pots: one for the flowers and the other for the stems and leaves. Fill them with water and let them stand for few hours.
- Adjust the pH of each decoction: for the flowers, add lemon juice for a pH of 4; for the stems and leaves, the pH should be 7 or 8. Add baking soda if necessary.
- Turn on the heat and gradually raise the temperature to just below 175°F (80°C). Maintain this temperature for 1 hour, or slightly longer for large quantites of plant. The liquid from the flowers will turn red, while the juice from the leaves and stems will gradually become greenish-yellow.
- Turn off the heat. Allow to cool and strain the decoctions through cheesecloth.
- Leave the juices to mature overnight.
2.2. The Rudbeckia dye bath
- Pour the plant liquids into two stockpots that are large enough to allow the fibers to be dyed to spread out.
- Add water to obtain a ratio of approximately 1:20, meaning 1 liter of decoction for about 19 liters of water.
- Check the pH levels of the baths: pH 4 for flowers, and pH 7 or 8 for stems and leaves. If needed, add lemon juice or baking soda to adjust the pH.
- Dip the mordanted fibers (presoaked and wrung out) into the dye bath. Make sure they are fully immersed in the bath.
- Heat the liquid to just below the simmering point (175°F/80°C). Do not boil. Maintain this temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Stir gently and regularly, approximately every 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the dye baths to cool down.
- For dyeing silk, the dye bath can be made in cold or lukewarm water, leaving the fibers to soak for 12 hours, stirring regularly.
- Once the baths have cooled, remove the fibers and wring them out to dry. Dry away from direct sunlight.
- Finally, wash with the usual precautions.
Rudbeckia can be used to dye different colors: yellow, as with turmeric, or pink, as with avocado or madder.
