Chamomile Matricaria recutita L. (commonly known as German Chamomile or Wild Chamomile) is a widely used medicinal herb in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is also an effective natural dye, producing shades ranging from yellow through to green, depending on the mordant and extraction method used. For best results, use Chamomile at 50–100% Weight of Fibre (WOF).
Chamomile has been used for centuries to dye textiles in shades of yellow. The final colour can be modified by using different mordants. An after treatment of iron and copper mordants will shift the colour towards olive and green tones, while tin mordant can brighten yellow shades. When using tin mordant, cream of tartar is recommended as a buffer to help prevent the fibres from becoming brittle.
These mordants, together with alum, are available in the Fibrecrafts Mordant Pack – an ideal kit for sampling and experimenting with mordants and natural dye colours.
Please note that this is not food-grade Chamomile and should not be used for human consumption.
Important Natural Dyeing Tips
Most natural fibres can be dyed using natural dyes. Some natural dyes can be used without a mordant, while others benefit from mordanting to improve colourfastness and help achieve particular shades.
Wool and silk are commonly mordanted with alum, while cellulose fibres such as cotton and linen can be mordanted using aluminium lactate. Another method is to prepare cellulose fibres with a tannin solution followed by an alum mordant. This age-old technique can sometimes affect the final colour of the natural dye through the colour absorbed during the tannin soak – a side effect that may be desirable.
Another use of mordants is to modify the colour using an after-treatment of iron, copper or tin mordant; these will each shift the original natural dye colour. Whether you’re dyeing wool, silk, cotton or linen, natural dyes offer a wonderfully varied range of colours and effects, and many factors can affect the results.
You can find answers to the following questions in our Blog post A Practical Guide to Natural Dyeing – How to Get the Best from Natural Dyes:
- Why do I need a mordant and how do mordants work?
- What is the method for mordanting protein fibres?
- What is the method for mordanting cellulose fibres?
- How much natural dye should I use?
- What colours will I get from my natural dyes?
- How do I modify or shift colours from natural dyes?
