Fabric and dye compostions

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1880lady

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I've been doing some research lately on Victorian dyes and fabric weaves, and found that not only was arsenic used in dyes (especially green ones), but that colours were likely to run when exposed to water. I knew wools were very fine and muslin isn't the same anymore. I read that pre-1850s, natural dyes from animals and plants were used. That said, do you know anything about how, say, a coloured silk taffeta has changed over time? I know it's one of the oldest luxury fabrics. Sure, synthetics make colours last longer, but is it possible to buy naturally dyed silks in lieu of doing it yourself? Certainly, a bolt of silk from 100 years ago wouldn't hold up very long if one tried to use it today...
 
Originally posted by claireshaeffer
Many couturiers consider green bad luck. I've wondered if it was because arsenic -dyed fabrics made you ill. claire
Click to expand...

Wonder if there's any connection with the name of the arsenic dye: 'PARIS GREEN'.
 
Thanks for all the information! I greatly appreciate it.

Just out of curiosity--and I know that no good costumer would do this--is it possible to use original antique fabrics by the bolt? I know that something like this is probably strongly discouraged, yet I've seen a few yards for sale. Wether the sample is for preservation or costuming is up to the buyer, I guess. I'm trying to find very authentic silks, specifically taffetta, without the chemical dyes.
 
Costumers do use original 'old' and antique fabrics. Some cottons, linens and wool hold up well. It depends on the storage, exposure to light etc etc. Fine fabrics are more fragile and are more susceptible to moisture and therefore deteriorate.

There are suppliers of silk tafetta. Google 'taffeta naturally dyed.'
 
Thank you for the suggestion. I've searched before, but haven't found exactly what I needed.
 
So how many synthetic dyes are/were toxic? Aniline was widely used, but as previously noted, toxic. I consulted this site (http://www.quilthistory.com/dye.htm) which stated that:

"During the 19th century, the most widely available fabrics were those which had been dyed with madder. The 'turkey red’ that was so popular at that time, was based on madder. This red was considered brilliant and exotic. The madder plant continued to be used for dyeing until the mid-1800s when a synthetic substitute was developed." The synthetic substitute was anline, then?

And, "Indigo prevailed as the preferred blue dye for a number of reasons. It is a substantive dye, needing no mordant, yet the color achieved is extremely fast to washing and to light. The manufacture of natural indigo lasted well into the early 1900s." Is indigo is still available for consumer use today?
 
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