Dying Fabric with Turmeric

This has been my major project over the weekend.  Working on dying fabric with an ancient India dying agent, Turmeric.

For Sale in the Shop with more lengths coming soon.

Turmeric is a rhizome native to tropical south Asia. It is most commonly found as a ground powder. The name comes from the latin terra merita, "merited earth." Turmeric is an ancient dying agent used for thousands of years in India as both a dye and in Ayurvedic medicine. In modern India and Bangladesh it is still used to dye saris and Buddhist monk robes. It is also used in every part of India in wedding and religious ceremonies. It symbolizes fire, power, and purification.

Public Domain Photo

Public Domain Photo

Thefabric is soaked in a fixative bath using warm water and vinegar. This part of the process is to help fix the dye.

Then the fabric is soaked in a dye made with water and turmeric

Next the fabric is immersed in a hot water bath, a lukewarm water bath, and finally a cold water bath.

Then it is hung outside for the dye to be set naturally in the sun.

Next it is back to the laundry room and run through the washer and dryer to make sure the dye is set.