To dye cotton with chlorophyll, you'll use a chlorophyllin extract in a hot water bath after mordanting your fabric. Here's a more detailed breakdown:
- Prepare the Dye Bath: Dissolve 5-10% Weight of Fabric (WOF) of chlorophyllin extract in hot water. Add enough warm water to the bath so the fabric can be immersed easily.
- Mordant the Fabric: Mordanting is a crucial pre-treatment. The reference does not explicitly say how to mordant the fabric. A common mordant for natural dyeing is alum (potassium aluminum sulfate). Mordanting helps the chlorophyll bind to the cotton fibers, improving color fastness.
- Wet the Fabric: Make sure your mordanted fabrics are thoroughly wetted out. This helps the dye penetrate the fibers evenly.
- Dyeing Process: Immerse the wetted, mordanted fabric into the chlorophyll dye bath.
- Note on pH: According to the reference, pH shifts do not significantly impact the dye bath's effectiveness in this specific process.
It's important to note that chlorophyll dyes are generally not very colorfast, meaning the color may fade over time and with washing. Experimentation with different concentrations of chlorophyllin extract and mordants can help optimize the color and fastness.
