Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, herbal medicines, flowers, vegetables, teas or minerals. Archaeologists have found evidence of textile dyeing dating back to the Neolithic period. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from roots, berries, bark, leaves and wood. The dye materials are extracted from these sources when they are heated.
In China, natural dyeing has been traced back to the Qin (221- 206 BCE) and subsequent Han (202 BCE- 220 CE) dynasties. At present, the traditional dyeing craft is still preserved in the ethnic minority areas of Yunnan, Guizhou and other provinces in China.
植物染
植物染亦稱為草木染，採用天然植物、中藥材、花卉、蔬菜、茶葉，製成染料為織物染色。 據說早在新石器時代人類已懂得使用天然的植物染料，發現漫山遍野花果的根、莖、葉、皮都可以用溫水浸漬來提取染液。
中國秦漢時期的染色已有採用植物染料來染制布料。根據歷史記載，東漢時期在色彩品種上共有39種色彩，明朝時 更是到了57種色彩，清代以後則出現各類色彩名稱達到了704種之多。現在，草木染這種傳統染制技藝仍有在雲南、貴州等省份的少數⺠族地區保留。
Natural-Dyed Fabric Creation 天然植物染布藝創作
Photo Courtesy of In Mind Life House from Changsha ⻑沙備忘生活館
Madder Root Dye
Madder is a perennial climbing plant with evergreen leaves and small pale yellow flowers. The roots can be over three feet long. Considered an ancient dye plant, madder root has been used throughout history for the orange red hues it can produce. In Chinese medicine, madder is bitter in flavor and cold in nature. It is said to be able to improve blood circulation. The color of the dye is not bright red but in an earth tone. There is a special term in the dyeing industry called the Turkish red. The colour depends on the soil the roots where grown, their age, the mineral content of the water used for dyeing, the temperature of the dye pot, and how much madder you use in relation to the fibre.
茜草染
早在秦漢時期，茜草已被使用為紅色的染料。 茜草屬多年生蔓性草本植物，葉常青，花呈淡黃，根可長至數尺。 茜草性苦，寒，能涼血，去瘀血，活血。 茜草染一般使用根部作為染材，染出來的顏色不是鮮豔的紅， 是較暗的土紅，在印染界有專門的術語叫做土耳其紅。 而茜草自不同的土壤、生長期、水中的礦物成份，以至使用不同 染色方法、媒染劑，及煮染不同的時間、溫度和份量， 都可使色效有所差別。
Black Tea Dye
Black tea works best for dyeing fabric because it has the deepest color. It can create a vintage look and the process smells nice. The dye works well with cotton, linen, silk and wool fabrics. Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, green and white teas. It is generally stronger in flavor. The tea undergoes extensive processing, which includes withering, rolling, oxidizing and drying, to create its deep color, satisfying fragrance and full-bodied taste. It typically mellows with age and grows richer and deeper in flavor. The black tea adopted here is from Hunan province.
茶染
黑茶可把布面料染成深褐的顏色，如古樸的風格， 而且染製過程中氣味芬芳。 葉染適用於棉，麻，絲和羊毛織物。 黑茶經氧化，比烏龍茶，綠茶和白茶味道更強烈。 黑茶的製作需要較繁複的工序如萎凋，滾動，氧化和乾燥， 才形成深褐色，芬香濃郁，而且隨著年月味道會變得更香濃。 展覽中的茶染作品，是採用來自湖南省的黑茶葉。
Blue Pebble Collection 藍卵石系列
Handmade Indigo-dyed Pouch Bag 全手工製藍染小袋
by Cotton Car for SOIL