Blossoms of marigold (lat. Tagetes erecta) are one of the most vivid and easy to achieve natural dyes. They produce durable yellow and orange shades. These plants are widespread all over the world not only because of their dyeing qualities, but also wonderful flowers, which have become an important part of culture in India.



About extracts:
Firstly, a little goes a long way. All colorants are extracted from dyestuff in an environment-friendly way so it takes much less space and keeps all dyeing properties. When using extract you can use 5 to 10 times less than the original dye. This way can save on storage space and on shipping price. Secondly, extracts are much easier and quicker to prepare so they are perfect for beginners and for those who would like to make things a bit faster. Also, it`s quite useful to have some extracts for those unexpected inspirational moments when you don`t want to spend two days on preparing dye solution :)



Mordanting:

- Use alum mordant at 15% WOF for protein fibers. For cellulose mordant with tannin at 8% WOF and then alum at 15%, or alum acetate at 8%.


Dyeing:

- Little amount of extract can dye a lot - use 5-10 % WOF
- Dissolve the powder in a small amount of warm water and add to your dye pot.
- For best results use pre-mordanted fibers. Add fibers to the dye solution and simmer for 30-60 minutes depending on the shade you want. Leave to cool.
- Many dyes react beautifully with different pH, so for a wider color palette experiment with additional citric acid, cream of tartar, soda ash or chalk.
- To widen your palette even more experiment with additional mordants - iron sulfate or various tannins.