A Few Hints on Dyeing.

Scientific American 22, 30.5.1863

To those who wish to have certain fabrics dyed, the following information will be found useful, as regards the colors they will take. Thus, if the material be black it can only be dyed black, brown, d. green, d. crimson, d. claret, and d. olive. (d. stands for "dark" in all cases.) Brown can only be dyed black, d. brown, d. claret. Dark green: black, d. brown, d. green, d. claret, d. olive. Light green: d. green, black, d. brown, d. crimson, d. claret, d. olive. Dark crimson: black, brown, d. crimson, d. claret. Light crimson will take the same as dark crimson. Claret: black, brown, d. crimson, d. claret. Fawn will take d. crimson, d. green, black, brown, d. claret. Puce: black, brown, d. olive, d. crimson, d. claret. Dark blue black, brown, d. crimson, d. green, d. claret, d. olive, d. blue. Pale blue: d. crimson, d. green, black, brown, claret, puce, d. blue, d. olive, lavender, orange, yellow. Olive will dye brown, black, d. green, d. crimson, d. claret. Lavender: black, brown, d. crimson, claret, lavender, olive. Pink: d. crimson, d. green, black, brown (as all tints will take a black and brown, these colors will not be repeated), pink, olive, d. blue, d. puce, d. fawn. Rose, same as pink, but also orange, scarlet and giraffe. Straw, primrose and yellow will dye almost any color required; as also will peach and giraffe. Grey will only dye, beside brown and black, d. green, d. claret, d. crimson, d. fawn, d. blue. White silk, cotton and woolen goods can be dyed any color. As cotton, silk and wool all take dye differently, it is almost impossible to re-dye a fabric of mixed stuff any color except the dark ones named. it will be obsered by the above list that pale blue will re-dye better than any other color.
- Septimus Piesse, F. C. S.