02-08-2011, 12:07 AM
The 'brick red' Melton colour on the site you have posted to is actually closer to the reds that may have been used for the average legionary tunic than the very bright scarlet colours.
I have commision dyed a number of pieces of melton (both light and heavyweight) for tunics/cloaks etc and the brick (or ochre true) colours are more well known from madder that is grown in temperate climates with well draining soils.
The thing about Madder is that it is highly inconsistent when cloth/yarn is dyed with it. The only way of actually getting the real crimson colours when using madder root is by adding cream of tartar at the end of the simmering process. We have no idea if tartar was used by Roman dyers - therefore we can only assume that the madder used so extensively (see JP Wild on the vindolanda textiles for example) on fragments of cloth (especially in Britain) was of more the brick to salmon red colours. I for one would like to see far more variation in living historians 'everyday' tunics - such as brick reds, through to almost pinky/puce colours. Madder as a plant is very sensitive to specific environmental conditions when it is grown, and such conditions contribute greatly to the finished colour of the cloth.
Also, if you feel brave enough to have a go at dyeing your own pieces of fabric, then make sure you use enough dyestuff for the weight - heavier fabric means more root to extract the colour beforehand.
I finished some dyeing with madder this weekend and it can out bright burnt orange.
To get a nice ochre/gold/mustard - I recommend using ochre strained through muslin then an overdye of dyers weld - a relatively easy plant to use. It can be purchased ready dried.
[attachment=126]IMGP1697.JPG[/attachment]
This picture shows just how vibrant natural dyes can be, this is ochre with weld.
The weave of the material is also important on saturation and take up of colour. If you are trying to dye yourself and using a very closely woven worsted, then the colour won't take as well as something such as the weave in the picture, which was woven reconstructed based on one of the Vindolanda fragments
I have commision dyed a number of pieces of melton (both light and heavyweight) for tunics/cloaks etc and the brick (or ochre true) colours are more well known from madder that is grown in temperate climates with well draining soils.
The thing about Madder is that it is highly inconsistent when cloth/yarn is dyed with it. The only way of actually getting the real crimson colours when using madder root is by adding cream of tartar at the end of the simmering process. We have no idea if tartar was used by Roman dyers - therefore we can only assume that the madder used so extensively (see JP Wild on the vindolanda textiles for example) on fragments of cloth (especially in Britain) was of more the brick to salmon red colours. I for one would like to see far more variation in living historians 'everyday' tunics - such as brick reds, through to almost pinky/puce colours. Madder as a plant is very sensitive to specific environmental conditions when it is grown, and such conditions contribute greatly to the finished colour of the cloth.
Also, if you feel brave enough to have a go at dyeing your own pieces of fabric, then make sure you use enough dyestuff for the weight - heavier fabric means more root to extract the colour beforehand.
I finished some dyeing with madder this weekend and it can out bright burnt orange.
To get a nice ochre/gold/mustard - I recommend using ochre strained through muslin then an overdye of dyers weld - a relatively easy plant to use. It can be purchased ready dried.
[attachment=126]IMGP1697.JPG[/attachment]
This picture shows just how vibrant natural dyes can be, this is ochre with weld.
The weave of the material is also important on saturation and take up of colour. If you are trying to dye yourself and using a very closely woven worsted, then the colour won't take as well as something such as the weave in the picture, which was woven reconstructed based on one of the Vindolanda fragments
Claire Marshall
General Layabout
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.plateau-imprints.co.uk">www.plateau-imprints.co.uk
General Layabout
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.plateau-imprints.co.uk">www.plateau-imprints.co.uk
