You searched for cochineal extract

Whole Cochineal Insects

Whole Cochineal Insects 100g of Whole Cochineal Insects will dye about 900 grams (2 pounds) of fiber to a deep red shade. For detailed instructions, please see our page on dyeing with cochineal. Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect that invades the nopal cactus and is about the size of a grain of rice with a silvery purple hue. The best cochineal is dark and full of carminic acid. We obtain only the finest grade cochineal on the market. You will also need a small amount of Cream of Tartar for the extraction process. Cochineal is one of the … Read more

Chestnut Extract

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a tree native to Southern Europe. People used it historically for tanning leather in Europe and North America. On fibers, chestnut extract yields a soft yellow which is excellent for combining with other colors. In addition, it is great for overdyeing with indigo for a rich teal. The chestnut color yields a warm gray shade with the addition of iron. It is one of those subtle, aromatic dyes that combines with other colors to add an intriguing “pop” to your color palette. 100g of chestnut extract will dye approximately 400g (12 oz) of fiber to a … Read more

Myrobalan Extract

Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula) is a common dye throughout India. It grows primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is an upright tree with small oval leaves and lovely bright yellow flowers. We often employ it as a mordant prior to creating brown and black on cotton fabrics. Use a higher percentage of myrobalan to yield a brownish yellow. Use a lower percentage to yield a light buff color. Myrobalan extract overdyed with indigo makes a beautiful teal color. 50g of myrobalan extract will dye approximately 500g (1.1 pounds) of fiber to a dark yellow shade. For more details on … Read more

Wattle Extract

Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) is a member of the Acacia family. People use it extensively in leather tanning as it works very well for even coverage and penetration of skins and pelts for tanning. Australia, South Africa and India are the major growers of wattle. They most commonly extract the Black Wattle to create the dye. Natural dyers use wattle extract as one of the rich tannins to create iron-based grays and blacks or to overdye with indigo to create interesting muted greens. The color is a beige with a pink cast. Additionally, it has a characteristic toasty wood smell. For … Read more

Pomegranate Extract

Pomegranate extract (Punica granatum), is known as anaar in India and granado in Spain. It grows wild in India, Italy, North Africa and China. The pomegranate also serves as a symbol in many cultures. It is a common motif in Christianity, the fruit of choice on the Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah, and a recurring token in Greek and Roman mythology. It continues to serve a symbolic purpose in Greek culture, showing up in weddings, funerals, new home purchases, and the new year, serving as a symbol for abundance, fertility, and good luck. Some use pomegranate extract as both a tannin-rich … Read more

Madder Extract

Product Availability for Madder Extract: the product is on order and is expected to arrive sometime between May 15 and 20. Thank you for your patience! Madder (Rubia cordifolia) is one of the oldest and most frequently used traditional dyestuffs known to human kind. It has extensive history in Turkey, India and Iran. There, it is still being used for dyeing knotted and woven carpets. The secret for Turkey red, a deep rich red color, was guarded for centuries throughout Central Asia. In addition, it involved more than twenty steps to create this prized shade. Our madder extract will produce … Read more

Lac Extract

Lac (Laccifer lacca) extract comes from a scale insect known from antiquity throughout India, Southeast Asia, Nepal and China. The deep red colorant is extracted from a hard resinous crude shellac before it can be successfully used as a dye. So the resin is known as shellac. It is used for lacquer and in addition as a protective covering for wood. Lac dye was used to color silk and dye leather and was mentioned as early as 250 AD. Lac extract is an affordable alternative to obtain pinks, purples and burgundy reds on protein fibers using an alum mordant. However, … Read more

Weld extract

Weld (Reseda luteola) is the most lightfast of the yellow dyes. Ancient tapestry weavers in Central Asia, Turkey and Europe used the dye. Weld is the brightest and clearest yellow flower dye. In combination with iron, weld creates a rich chartreuse or, when overdyed with indigo, yields a clear lime green. We carry a very fine grade of weld extract that is also certified for organic textile processing in compliance with the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). 25g of weld extract will dye approximately 800g (1.75 pounds) of fiber to a dark yellow shade. Adding a pinch of soda ash … Read more

Cutch Extract

Cutch (Acacia catechu) is the source of the rich reddish brown color seen in Indian textiles. It is both a dyestuff and tanning agent. It has been used in India since ancient times. To make cutch extract, cutch wood is soaked in hot water until the liquid becomes syrupy. It is then cooled, pressed and cut into cubes and dried. After that, it is ground into powder for dyeing. Cutch extract is sweet smelling in the dye bath and yields rich red browns with long cooking times. Cutch with an alum mordant will be golden yellow brown and requires a … Read more

Fustic Powder Extract

5/7/25 – We will be re-stocking fustic powder in the near future. We also have a liquid fustic extract that makes a beautiful golden color. We are super excited to offer an alternate version of fustic: fustic powder extract. Fustic (Chlorophora tinctoria or Maclura tinctoria) is a tall tropical hardwood that grows from Mexico to Argentina. Fustic is high in tannic acid, which makes it an ideal cotton dye. In fact, it was used in the military to dye the color khaki during World War I. On cotton, it will dye a clear gold and on silk and wool it … Read more