In the Bag: Contact Natural Dyes

Abstract

Contact dyeing is a practical alternative to the more common immersion method of natural dyeing. Contact dyeing is a very low liquor ratio method where the actual natural dyestuff is placed around and between the goods to be dyed. The dyestuff and goods are compressed into a bundle that is placed in a plastic bag and heated by using steam, a microwave oven, or solar energy. The focus in most dyeing is on duplication and replication of color and motif. In contact dyeing, the focus is shifted to use of innovative materials such as organic waste, found objects, and pantry or kitchen items. Appropriate dyestuffs, materials, and equipment are described, but specific results are unpredictable. This chance factor is the primary goal in contact natural dyeing: to create complex, random patterns and colors easily and inexpensively, without the use of chemical mordants that are used with immersion natural dye methods.