NATURAL FABRIC DYEING FOR HANHSILK PRODUCTS

Dyeing is a step in the process of creating silk fabrics and designer products. The dyeing process can take place from the silk yarn stage to after the weaving process. Dyeing the silk yarn helps create delicate products like brocade, cross-weave, and unique patterns. Regular dyeing, on the other hand, produces plain, single-color products. However, dyeing fabric involves many steps. Let's explore the steps of dyeing brown silk fabric below with Hanhsilk:

The yam tubers are harvested from the highlands, then boiled and buried before being used to dye the fabric. All processes are entirely manual. Each batch of yam tubers will have slightly different colors, depending on the soil. The color of each dyeing batch also depends on several factors: the color of the yam tubers, the weather, and the number of dyeing cycles.

The root is boiled to produce a distinctive brown liquid that does not fade over time.

Typically, dyeing a piece of fabric with the root of the "Nâu" plant requires 50-60 soaking, dyeing, and drying cycles. The artisans have lost count of the number of times they've dyed a single scarf, and can't remember how many batches of scarves they've dyed in their lifetime. That represents their youth and their lives!

"Dyeing a scarf with natural yam roots can sometimes take up to a month," – Quoted from a young woman from an ethnic minority group who uses fabric dyeing as a way of keeping track of time.

Natural dyes are used to color silk: brown from yam roots, green from tea leaves, yellow from turmeric, yellow from Terminalia catappa leaves, and deep purple from mulberry fruit… Although the colors from natural dyes are not as vibrant and bright as those from chemical dyes, they have a beautiful, subdued, and elegant hue, like the graceful beauty of East Asian women. Hanhsilk silk remains durable and beautiful over time. Furthermore, natural dyes generally do not affect health, are very fragrant, and preserve the integrity of craftsmanship and traditional values.

To learn more about hand-dyed raw silk fabric, Hanhsilk invites you to visit the Nam Cao Raw Silk Cooperative in Kien Xuong, Thai Binh, or visit the Hanhsilk showroom at 2 Hoa Lu Street, Le Dai Hanh Ward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.