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Colour range of natural dyes

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Will the colour fade?

Yes. All natural dyes fade when exposed to bright light but some colours fade more quickly than others. Yellows and reds generally fade the fastest while blues, browns and greys last the longest.

Is the dye rub fast?

Most are but some aren't. Blue dyes are the most susceptible to rubbing.

Is the dye wash fast?

No. The dyes can be washed out and it's not recommended that you wash clothes dyed with natural dyes in a washing machine. All period recipes for cleaning woollen clothes that I've come across are all spot cleaning methods and only linens are immersed in water for cleaning. The period approach is that you wear linen next to the skin which can be properly washed and your linen under clothes protect your outer cloths from you.

Will the cloth be evenly dyed?

No. There is always some variation in any length of cloth because of the way it is produced but most of the time the variations are subtle and you probably won't notice them once it's been made up into a piece of clothing. Some cloths are better than others and each piece of cloth for sale is photographed so that you can see any imperfections in it.

Do I need to pre-shrink the cloth before I use it?

No. All the cloths have been through a number of hot and cold processes as well as being washed at least twice. The processing has the effect of shrinking and felting the cloths and they shouldn't shrink any further.

Can I get more cloth in the same colour if I run out?

Only if you're lucky. The cloth is dyed in quite short lengths (the maximum I can dye a at time is 15 meters) and it is very difficult to reproduce a shade exactly because the dyes are sensitive to quite small changes in the dye vat. Also, being vegetable dyes, each years crop can be different due to changes in weather conditions etc.

How wide is the cloth?

The cloth is 30 inches (76 centimetres) wide.

Can I order samples?

Yes. You can order samples of individual cloths in the on-line shop. Each sample costs £0.50 and there is no charge for postage. The cost of the samples is refundable on receipt of your first order up to a maximum of £5.00 and refunds can be claimed by using the voucher code that will be sent to you with your samples. Refund voucher codes are valid for 6 months.

Is the colour I see on the screen the exact colour of the cloth?

No. Because of the range of screens and settings people use it is not possible to display the colours exactly as they are in real life. I have made sure that each piece of cloth is photographed in day light under identical conditions but because each screen/device has slightly different settings they will almost certainly appear slightly different to reality. To properly see the exact colour of a piece of cloth you will need to order a sample.

CONTACT

Karl Robinson - Dyer
2 Noble Street
Wem
Shropshire SY4 5DZ
United Kingdom

Phone: +44 07476 307560
E-mail:karl@thehistoricaldyer.com
Copyright © Karl Robinson 2021. All rights reserved.
Site last updated 11th March 2021