The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-02
She Made Them All Herself Out of
Materials at Hand, and Very
Good Dyes They Were Too

Purple was obsAined by mixing the
color from cOchineal with blue.
Sumach was commonly used for yell
low dye. 1t is of the rhus family and
II In interesting TO know that the fustic
OF commerce. OF which 90 900 tons Is
imported into this country each year.
is also of the rhus family. though a
much larger tree. The common sumach
which grows beside the road lis capable
Of yielding a fairly brilliant yellow dye.
Often in years agone the wood was
made into chips and dyes made which
gave a reasonably clear yellow. Some
tell Of using saffron, but the plant only
grows in the Far East and Is very
expensive, consequently 1t was not
commonly used by domestic dyers.
In dyeing green the domestic worker
prepared two dyes. yellow from either
fustic or sumach, and blue. The ma
terial was dipped first into the yellow
and allowed to dry and then into the
blue. The strength of the two basic
colors determined the shade OF green
more blue for dark green. more yell
low for light green. With the red Of
the cochineal, the blue OF the indigo
and the yellow OF fustic or sumach
the domestic dyer was equipped to
make a variety Of color scarcely out
done by the dyer Of to-day. with all
his aniline and coal tar products.
These colors were obtained by maxi
ing a decoction Of the material. ~h,'h
vas BOILED for a Ioris time. sometimes
for dHys. copperas was, mixed with the
liquids In certain proportions to set
the color once the color was incor-
porated In the material there was no
way to get II out, IL the work was done
properly. The same thing held good
OF the hands. II they were dipped
in the dyes that meant that the color
must wear on. No question about its
being fast ever crossed the minds of
the domestic dyers. The colors were
fast and some of them last to this
day, as clear as when nrst dyed.
The straining and changing needed
in making the liquor made dyeing
a somewhat tedious process. But once
done II was over for a year. and an
important event in domestic economy
was finished.
To set these colors other substances
besides copperas were nsed. Per
haps the most rellc BILE was the ord,-
nary sorrel plant, which grows as Il
weed in every garden. The leaves
were picked and squeezed through
cheese cloth. What went through the
cloth was mixed with the dye. 1t
was rather poor quality OF citric acid.
Blue vitriol was also used and was
as dangerous az ccrperas To handle.
Yet some colors required these w
powerful chemicals. by far the most
common ingredient for the purpose
was alum. Often the freshly dyed
cloth was immersed in a hot alum
solution t. set the dyes,
Generally these miXtures were pre-
pared In huge brass kettles. Not
many OF these kettles were owned
and loans from neirhbor 10 neighbor
were numerous. The kettles were
cleaned with vinegar and salt to re-
move all traces of verdigris before us
ing. Vitriol mordants could not BE-
used in iron. They would eat away
the surface of the iron and thus cloud
the dyes.
az late years the domestic dyer had
depended upon the prepared dyes pur-
chased at the shops, for dyeing laces,
vellings. trimmings for hats, So.
made Of the feathery materials, and
also silk and linen, oil paints arc
sometimes mixed with casolcne and
used in that form. Very little of the
paint is needed, but one generally
purchases a darker shade than is re-
CURED, and il is diluted to the right
shade. Dyeing in this form has been.
found to he very successful. The ma
terial should be hung out in the air
for five minutes. then owe the stove
until the odor of gasolene is entirely
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