A LESSON TO DYE FOR
An Integrated Science-History-Art Unit On Plant Dyes
Part II
Diane Grau, Ordean School, Duluth, MN
Bruce Jones, The Blake School, Hopkins, MN
This unit introduces students to plant dyes and
their history and highlights investigative skills as they
explore variables in their own plant dyeing.
Science is more meaningful for most students when it
is learned in some context which is relevant to something
else they have learned or to real life. This unit was
designed to do both by building on a science unit on
plants that discusses flowers, roots, leaves, bark, seeds
and other plant parts. The integration of plant science
with stories from history gives a human touch. It connects
the learning to previous learning of colonial or world
history, for example. Anecdotes bring in drama, economics
and geography as well. Students practice numerous scientific
methods as they carry out controlled experiments and
trial-and-error experiments. Connections with art are
made as the students use the results of their dyeing
experiments to make some handcrafted items, a real-life
application. Because students are involved in gathering
supplies and producing displays and handcrafted objects,
they take ownership of their work. All materials are
low cost.
Level: Grades 5-8
Time Frame: One day to endless
Table of Contents
This curriculum module was developed as part of a project sponsored
by SciMath-MN and The Bakken Library and Museum. Click to see
a directory of other
curriculum modules using history and philosophy of science in
this series.
EXTENSIONS
- Experiment with making paints, using different solvents
from the refrigerator.
- Find out how to 'felt' wool, and make long felted strips
of different colors to weave by hand on a large vertical
'loom' warped up with rope on a wooden frame. Kids will
love weaving the felted fibers through the rope by hand.
- Visit a museum which has exhibits on plant dyes. (The
Science Museum of Minnesota has an excellent display in
its Anthropology Hall.)
- Invite a local quilter, weaver or fiber dyer to share
her/his craft.
- Grow dye plants in the classroom: marigolds, zinnias,
coreopsis, morning glory, marjoram, etc.
- Test dyes to see if they stay when washed.
- Experiment on the effect of leftover dye water on bean
plants, introducing potential environmental effects of
the chemical industry.
- Research and experiment with some ways of not dyeing
something, as in batik and tie-dyeing ( a fun 1960s connection).
- Experiment with mordants and no mordants. Wash and compare
color-fastness. Discuss why any differences occur, looking
into the chemistry.
- Experiment with other variables: time, temperature, freshness
of the plant material.
- Experiment with different ways of removing stains.
- Find out about making red cabbage indicator and how it
can be used in chemistry.
APPLICATIONS
All of the following have complete directions in Colors
From Nature by Bobbi McRae.
- Cornhusk Dolls can be made from dyed cornhusks. These
were made traditionally by American children after the
harvest, and can be made with all sorts of variations:
with aprons, with hats, or even angels at holiday time.
- A Decorative Wreath can be made with cornhusks dyed a
variety of colors. It might be made for decorating the
classroom door, or for auction at a school benefit.
- Cross-Stitch bookmarks or cards could be made with dyed
cotton floss. Parent volunteers might be helpful in teaching
the handiwork.
- Dyed Eggs may be made as holiday decorations or blown-out
eggs may be dyed and hung from tree branches year-round.
A wax resist technique may be used on the egg to prevent
dyeing where a design is drawn in wax.
- A Quilt could be made with dyed cotton fabric pieces.
On each piece, a class may wish to write 'Goldenrod' or
'Onion' with wax crayon before dyeing. After the dyeing
the wax can be removed with hot water.
- Paper Making can be given new color when natural dyes
are added to the pulp. This could be a good use of leftover
dyebaths to add them to recycled paper pulp. Use plastic
gloves, protective clothing and goggles when handling the
dyebath.
PLANT DYES AND THEIR HISTORY
Lessons on plant dyes can esaily be integrated into a science
unit on plants or a social studies unit on colonial times of
Native American studies. The following paragraphs introduce
different plant dye sources and their natural and historical
contexts. Students may be invited to research each and complete
posters for the class, or the teacher may prepare them in advance
bycopying the text below. Information is readily available
from the sources listed in the accompanying bibliography. The
books may be found in many libraries. Pictures to complete
the posters may be obtained by sketching pictures based on
those found in field guides or sources such as Adrosko, Cannon,
Krochmal, or Meeker. Photographs may also be taken of more
common plants.
INDIGO
Indigo is a shrubby legume which may grow five feet high. It
has dainty compound leaves. The pods are typical of may plants
in the legume family. Records show that indigo has been used
to produce a beautiful blue color for over 4000 years. Its
use was probably begun in India though it is known to have
been used in most of Asia, Eygpt, and West Africa. After Vasco
de Gama's discovery of a trade route to India in 1498, indigo
was brought into western ports. The Spanish brought seeds to
Central and South America as well as the West Indies. It was
an important trade item from the West Indies to Europe by 1615.
Growers of woad, another plant used for blue, feared the competition
because indigo made a better dye. It began to be called a 'devilish
drug' and people claimed it harmed fabrics. In England during
the time of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603), indigo was outlawed
and a law was passed to allow searchers to burn it. The law
was not changed until the time of Charles II (1660-1685). It
was outlawed in France until 1737. German states also banned
it in the late 1500s to the early 1600s.
Indigo processing: In colonial America
sets of vats were needed for each 6-7 acres of plants. Two
rows of these large, square vats would be constructed. The
first row would contain up to 20 vats built about 3 feet
above the other identical row. These vats were about 18 feet
on each side and about 3 feet deep. They were made of brick
coated on the inside with cement. Each vat held about 1000
cubic feet of water and about 100 bundles of plants. Each
vat had pipes, spigots and drain holes at different levels.
The plants were cut close to the ground in June or July just
as they began to flower. About 10 plants were tied in each
leafy bundle. and had to be put in the first vats the same
day as they were cut. They were held down in the water with
heavy timbers to press the plants together tightly. After
9-14 hours of fermentation, the water was drawn off. This
yellow liquid went into the second vats which were called "beating
vats". Naked slaves, entered the vats and beat the liquid
with split bamboo sticks to get as much air in as possible.
This might take 2-3 hours. When the liquid turned a pale
green color and little, blue particles floated in the liquid,
the beating stopped. The blue particles would sink to the
bottom of the vats and the liquid would clear. The liquid
was drained off and the particles were put into a tank and
heated and boiled to prevent any more fermentation or spoiling.
It would be cooled for 24 hours and then boiled again. It
was then strained and the substance that was left was the
true dye, indigotin. This was put into boxes and later put
into a press to take out all moisture. It was then dried
slowly for about 8 weeks. The cakes would be turned every
few days. Finally the dye was packed for shipment. These
cakes would be ground into a powder for use and mixed with
wood-ash, urine, or tannic acid from tree bark so it would
dissolve in water and make a long-lasting color. This mixture
was discovered by trial and error. The cloth would be dipped
into the mixture but did not turn color until it was taken
out and exposed to air and dried. Oxygen was the mordant.
Sources: Androsko, Pettit, Krochmal. Pictures
of indigo and the vats may be found in Adrosko.
WOAD
This plant is related to cabbages. It grows up to four feet
high and has yellow flowers. It is thought to have been used
in Israel over 2000 years ago. Julius Caesar mentioned that
it was used in England: 'All Britons stain themselves with
woad which grows wild and produces a blue color which gives
them a terrible color in battle.' Those who painted themselves
blue indeed wanted to scare their enemies by their appearance.
Woad was grown all over Europe and was the major dye used to
create blues until the late 1600s. At that time people began
to use indigo. Woad is believed to be the first blue dye used
in America.
Woad processing: The leaves of the woad
plants would be picked in July just before the plants would
flower. The leaves were then chopped or ground and placed
in piles to dry. When the piles were still slightly moist,
the ground leaves were packed into balls about the size of
softballs. These balls were then dried in shaded, well-ventilated
areas for up to six weeks. The dried balls were ground into
a powder which awas spread 3-4 inches deep in the shade and
dampened and turned often for another 8-10 weeks to allow
the powder to ferment. This sticky matter was then packed
in boxes for shipping.
Sources: Bogdonoff, Pettit, and Krochmal. Excellent
pictures of woad are available in Krochmal.
CONEFLOWER
This plant has deeply lobed leaves. There are 3-5 lobes per
leaf. The leaves are arranged alternately on stems that may
grow to a height of 10 feet. The yellow flower has drooping
petals and a green conical center. American Indians used coneflowers
to make yellow or orange. It was used in basketry and on animal
skins and feathers. The Ojibwa had additional uses for the
coneflowers. They used a poltice of the blossoms for burns
and a compound made from the roots for indigestion. The coneflower
leaves were sometimes used in a spring salad.
Sources: Meeker and Murphey. An excellent picture
may be found in Meeker.
THREE-LOBED SUMAC
The bark of the three-lobed sumac was used by some American
Indians to produce a red-brown. The berries were also used
after mashing and fermenting without cooking to make a dusty
pink on wool.
Source: Murphey
MADDER
This plant has elliptical leaves in whorls of 4-6. It develops
small, pale yellow flowers and black berries. The stems are
brittle and often straggle along the ground or scramble through
other plants. The stems have downward pointing thorns. The
plant may grow up to 3 feet. Madder is native to western and
central Asia but was brought to central and southern Europe
for cultivation. Cloth found on Eygptian mummies of long ago
were found to be dyed with madder. The red dye from this plant
was prized in ancient Greece and Rome as well as in the Middle
Ages in Europe. Madder supplied the red of the British armies
redcoats. In colonial times in the U.S. it was imported from
France and Holland though it was also grown in Virginia and
sold by peddlars. Some American Indians used it to dye woll,
quills, or horsehair. Today it can be bought at some garden
centers and grown from seed.
Madder processing: The madder plants must
be grown for three or more years before they can be processed
for dyes. (Some roots should then be saved for replanting.)
The outer covering is peeled off the roots and the inner
roots are washed and pounded into a paste. The paste made
a stronger color of used right away with a mordant of alum,
chalk, slaked lime, or tin. The roots were sometimes dried,
then peeled, and the inner roots dried again before being
ground into a fine powder. This powder was fermented and
diluted with sulphuric acid. Other processes used blood,
rancid fat, charcoal, cow or sheep dung, or liquid from animal
stomachs.
Sources: Bogdonoff, Cannon, Leggett, Lewington,
and Murphey.
SAFFRON
The saffron plant is a crocus that blooms in autumn. It has
7-12 grey-green leaves and lilac flowers which are veined and
stained near the base. The petals may be up to two inches long.
A dye may be made from the tops of the pistils of the flowers
without using a mordant. The pistils are picked before the
flower wilts and dried over charcoal fires. The dye from saffron
was used in ancient Persia for the robes of emperors. The dye
was introduced into Spain by the Arabs in the 12th century
and its use spread to Italy, France, Switzerland, Austria,
and Germany. In England it became so important that the town
of Saffron Walden in Essex was named for it. The dye was also
used to dye hair in 16th century Venice. The hair was rubbed
with a dried membrane which covers a baby's head at birth (caul),
egg yolk, and honey. The head was then covered with a scarf
overnight. The next day the hairs would be pulled through holes
in a straw hat, and saffron and sulphur were put on the hairs.
After sitting in the sun all day while the hair was repeatedly
wetted and dried, the desired color was obtained. Today it
is still grown commercially in Spain and bulbs may be bought
from some suppliers.
Source: Cannon
BLOODROOT
This plant produces one white flower with 8-10 flowers. The
flower is taller than its leaves. A single lobed leaf will
wrap around the stem of the flower. The juice of the stem is
orange or red. American Indians would rub fresh roots on wooden
tools to dye them orange.
Bloodroot processing: Cut fresh roots
into small pieces and soak for an hour before boiling. Boil
for 30 minutes and strain. Heat the dye bath until it is
lukewarm. Add wool that has been mordanted with alum and
simmer until receiving the desired color. Rinse and dry.
Sources: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Records, Densmore,
and Meeker. A good picture may be obtained from many field
guides.
BUTTERNUT
Butternut trees may grow 40-60 feet in height. The compound
leaves of 11-17 leaflets are rough and thin and arranged alternately
on the branches. The oval, pointed nuts are covered with sticky,
green, hairy husks. American Indians used roots and bark for
dyes. Since butternut trees did not grow everywhere, the Chippewa
would take packets of the inner bark from place to place with
them. In New England the colonists used the bark for tans and
browns. During the Civil War, it was used for confederate uniforms.
This gave the name "butternuts" to confederate soldiers.
Sources: Bogdonoff, Cannon, Densmore, and Meeker.
Meeker's book has a good picture of butternuts as does Krochmal.
PUCCOON
This plant develops flat-topped clusters of yellow flowers.
Each flower has 5 petals. Bristly hairs cover the plant. Roots
of the puccoon were used by American Indians for dye. The Chippewas
used this dye for a face paint.
Sources: Densmore and Meeker. A picture can be
found in Meeker.
LOGWOOD
This tree is native to Central America and the northern part
of South America. It has a reddish, twisted and gnarled trunk
that grows to a height of 50 feet and is covered with thorns.
The leaves are made up of 2-4 leaflets. The yellow flowers
have a sweet scent. Long seed pods form with 1-4 oblong seeds
in each pod. Logwood was discovered in Mexico by Spanish conquistadores
in the 16th century. In fact it was used to dye silks in Mexico
as late as the 1960s. It was imported into Europe in the 16th
century, but like indigo, its use was protested by the growers
of woad. A law to ban its use was passed in England in 1581
but was repealed in 1661. Much smuggling occurred until the
law was repealed. However, while woad was used primarily for
making a blue dye, logwood was used for black. Today it is
still used to dye nylon and as a stain for biological work.
It is available from some dye suppliers.
Sources: Bogdonoff, Cannon, Lewington
BLACK WALNUT
The black walnut tree is native to central and eastern U.S.
It is a very tall tree growing to a height of 130 feet. The
trunk is covered with a dark brown to black bark. The leaves
of 9-15 slightly toothed leaflets are hairy on the undersides.
Thick husks protect the nuts. The roots release a chemical
that prevents new seedlings from growing near the tree. Black
walnut shells were used in 1st century Rome to keep hair from
turning white. Pliny records boiling shells with oil, ashes,
lead, and earthworms. The leaves and husks are most often used
to produce the dyes, but bark, catkins, and the heartwood may
also be used.
Source: Cannon
WHITE BIRCH
These trees are easily identified by their white bark which
is easily peeled. The bark has layers which readily separate
to reveal a bright orange inner surface. The leaves of the
white birch are simple toothed leaves. In spring catkins may
be seen on the branches. The trees grow from 40 to 70 feet
tall. American Indians boiled bark from the white birch with
ashes of cedar bark to create a red dye. It was said that no
man or outsider should be allowed to look into the dye.
Sources: Densmore and Meeker. A picture can be
found in Meeker.
Bibliography on History
Adrosko, Rita J. Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing. New York: Dover,
1971.
Bogdonoff, Nancy Dick. Handwoven Textiles of Early New
England. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1975.
Cannon, John and Margaret. Dye Plants and Dyeing. Portand:
Timber P, 1994.
Densmore, Frances. How Indians Use Wild Plants for Food,
Medicine, and Crafts. (formerly titled: Uses of Plants by
the Chippewa Indians). NY: Dover, 1974.
Krochmal, Arnold and Connie. The Complete Illustrated Book
of Dyes from Natural Sources. NY Doubleday, 1974.
Leggett, William F. Ancient and Medieval Dyes. Brooklyn:
Chemical, 1944.
Lewington, Anna. Plants for People. NY: Oxford U P: 1990.
Little, Elbert L. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North
American Trees, Eastern Region. NY: Knopf, 1980.
Meeker, James E. and Joan E. Elias and John A. Heim. Plants
Used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa. Odanah, WI: Great Lakes Indian
Fish and Wildlife Commission, 1993.
Murphey, Edith Van Allen. Indian Uses of Native Plants.
Glenwood, IL: Meyerbooks, 1990.
Pettit, Florence H. America's Indigo Blues. NY. Hastings
House. 1974.
Pettit, Florence H. Amrica's Printed and Painted Fabrics
1600-1900. NY: Hastings House, 1970.
Polakoff, Claire. Into Indigo. Garden City, NY: Anchor
Books, 1980.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Top Choices:
- Cannon, John and Margaret, Dye Plants and Dyeing,
1994, Timber Press, Portland.
- A good combination of artwork, biology, chemistry
and history. Many of the plants are British, but the
book is a beautiful reference , especially in showing
how different colors are obtained by using different
mordants.
- McRae, Bobbi, Colors From Nature, 1993, Storey
Communications, Pownal, VT.
- An excellent "how to" manual which is very approachable,
with directions for beginners and advanced work. Organized
with chapters on dyes from the grocery, dyes from the garden
and many craft projects which are adaptable for kids.
- Bliss, Anne, North American Dye Plants, 1993,
Interweave Press, Loveland, CO.
- A small but useful handbook, packed with summaries of
the colors one might obtain with particular plant materials,
information on where the plants might be found, and what
parts of the plant to use. Line sketches are attractive
and helpful.
- Van Stralen, Trudy, Indigo, Madder and Marigold,
1993, Interweave Press, Loveland.
- A beautiful book, richly illustrated with samples of
materials dyed with plants which played important roles
in history. Stories, practical tips and thorough directions
make this book not only an inspiration, but informative
as well.
Also available in libraries: Thurstan, Violetta, The Use
of Vegetable Dyes, 1988, Dryad Press, London.
Goodwin, Jill, A Dyer's Manual, 1982, Pelham Books,
London.
Bearfoot, Will, Dyes and Fibers, 1975, Oliver
Press, Willits, CA.
Schultz, Kathleen, Create Your Own Natural Dyes,
1975, Sterling Publ., New York.
Grae, Ida, Nature's Colors, 1974, MacMillan Publ.,
New York.
Robertson, Seonaid, Dyes From Plants, 1973, Van
Nostrand, New York.
Leggett, William, Ancient and Medieval Dyes, 1944,
Chemical Publ. , Brooklyn, NY.
|
