The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

This This is the last vat recipe in our series "The Organic Vat." It follows our introduction, About the Organic Vat, our general procedure post, Indigo: The Fruit Vat, and our last post 3 Organic Vat Recipes.

The Ferrous Vat

This is called the “1, 2, 3” vat – it is a cold vat that is great for cotton and silk. It is not recommended for wool because of the iron.



The Ferrous Vat gives a beautiful dark indigo and has the advantage of being a cold vat that keeps for months. It is good for printing as it does not require long dips. It is a vat that has been known throughout history.

Prepare as with the fruit vat.

Start with hot water – almost boiling. Add the indigo to the vat, then the ferrous sulphate, then the lime. Wait for the vat to turn yellowy-green. Check for the bronze surface and the dark bubbles. Begin to dye with short dips (10-15 minutes). Oxidize in water and then the air.

These organic vats were originally developed by French dye chemist and botanist, Michel Garcia. Michel has been teaching and lecturing at the Maiwa Textile Symposium since 2009. He has worked with Maiwa in India as a dye specialist, most notably at the 2011 Maiwa Masterclass. Michel and Maiwa founder Charllotte Kwon meet on a regular basis to conduct natural dye research, explore recipes and test procedures. Together they are always looking for techniques that give the most exquisite colours - made to outlast the fibres they adorn.

The current issue of Selvedge Magazine has a bit of Canadian focus: Trade Routes to Trading Post: Beyond the Blanket - Textiles in Canada, by Joe Lewis, contains a potted history of some Canadian textile facts. We are happy to say that we received mention as one of the highlights.



The same issue contains a wonderful article by Ptolemy Mann on Jacquard weaving and what it means to revert to manual when your "dobby" (a computerized loom) fails. Carol Outram contributes a story on traditional clothing of the Arctic with remarkable photography by Karim Rholem. We've just added issue # 44 to our online store so you can pick it up here.

The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes
What they are and how to use them

Dyeing carpet wool with madder root in preparation for carpet weaving. Demonstration of dyes for the DOBAG project.

Every day we speak to people who have a keen interest in natural dyes. Some have never dyed anything before, others have been dyeing for decades. Some are attracted by the history of textiles and colours, others by the botany and zoology of natural dyestuffs - still others by the connection that dyes have to diverse and often distant cultures.

At Maiwa we have been using and researching natural dyes for many years. We have worked alongside artisans in India and shared our knowledge through workshops we have conducted in places like Assam (India), Morocco and Ethiopia.

We would like to create a sense of community around the use of natural dyes. There is a lot of information available in books, blogs, and websites. More information is being discovered every time someone makes another vat. We have noticed that students of our Natural Dye Workshops have started to post photos of their tests on Instagram. It is a good place to connect with fellow dyers and to put up photos of projects. We hope it will encourage the discussion of techniques, recipes, and cultures of natural dyes.


People have added colour to cloth for thousands of years. It is only relatively recently (the first artificial dye was invented/discovered in 1856) that the textile industry has turned to synthetic dyes. Today, many are rediscovering the joy of achieving colour through the use of renewable, non-toxic, natural sources.

We find that natural dyes are friendly and satisfying to use. They are familiar substances that can spark creative ideas and widen our view of the world. Try experimenting with them. Colour can be coaxed from all kinds of natural sources. Once the cloth or fibre is prepared for dyeing it will soak up the colour, yielding a range of shades from vibrant jewel tones to dusky heathers and pastels. Variations are easily achieved by changing dyestuff, recipes, and methods.

Not all natural dye recipes are safe and non-toxic. Some books still call for the use of heavy metal mordants such as chrome and tin. The dyer must also be sensitive to the ecology of dyeplants - some (such as lichens) exist in a precarious balance in nature and will vanish if overharvested. Maiwa is constantly researching natural dye use and we are confident that a full palette can be achieved through the use of safe, time honoured, techniques and recipes.

Next up in the Guide - Water.

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