A Word About Dyes Page 2

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When sulphur dyes are toned down by over-laying, they strip; that is, the first coating of the dye comes off when the second one is dyed and the fabric remains the second color. There are many artificial dyes which do not strip, such as the artificial indigos and acid dyes for silk and wool. But when these are overlaid the results are not satisfactory, for the composite colors are apt to turn a muddy gray under artificial light. The three complementary colors, orange, green, violet, must probably be produced in the same manner as the primaries, blue, red and yellow.

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The dyer in using the natural dye can work as a painter does with a color palette beginning with the three primaries, blue, red and yellow, and from them producing their complementaries, orange, green and violet, and then their further modifications. Natural dyes act ac-cording to the accepted theory of color mixing, and when applied to handicraft can be depended upon to correspond to this theory. As far as I know no one has evolved the theory of color for artificial dyestuffs, so their contrary way of acting has not been scientifically explained. Being artificial they must of course have a code of their own which differs from the theories and laws of natural pigments. They all do extraordinary things under artificial light; most of the blues and greens look so much alike that it is difficult to tell them apart. Some of the acid dyes also get much cruder under artificial light. The sulfur dyes all get duller except the yellow which stays as strong as in daylight. And red, which in the natural pigment gains a finer quality of tone, often turns a dull and uninteresting brown. For this reason it is so difficult to match commercially dyed fabrics. This is why all the large dry goods stores have a gas room where samples may be examined by customers under artificial light. In different materials, as for ex-ample silk and wool which match in color in the daytime, there is a change at night, and they do not match at all.

Indigo blue which is the most important of all dyestuffs and the most beautiful blue dye there is, being a natural pigment, can be depended on to keep its pureness of quality.

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The Craft Of Handmade Rugs - View The Rest Of The Book

Introduction - Some Old Time Rugs  - The Braided Rug  - The Scalloped Doormat Or Tongue Rug
The Knitted Rug - The Crocheted Rug - The Hooked Rug In Cotton And Wool - The Needle-Woven Rug
The Colonial Rag Rug - Some Applications - Newer Methods Of Stencil Making - The Tufted Counterpane
Old Time Lights - The Batik Or Wax Resist Process