Madder Extract

Description

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 pale pink and peach shades all the way through a deep, wine-colored red. Madder extract dyes to its deepest colors with an alum mordant and the addition of calcium carbonate (chalk). If you add a mild acid to your dyebath, such as Cream of Tartar, you will create a soft orange shade. 50g of madder extract will dye approximately 750g of fiber (1.65 pounds) to a dark red shade. For more detailed instructions, please visit our page on natural dye extracts.

Madder comes in different forms: Rubia tinctorum in Central Asia and the Middle East, Rubia cordifolia in India and Pakistan, Rubia peregrina (Wild Madder). The Japanese call madder akane. This refers to Rubia cordifolia, which they got through trade with India. People use Lady’s Bedstraw, a common member of the Rubia family, for stuffing mattresses and its roots yield a lighter red dye.