Kamala is a natural dye obtained from the fruit of Mallotus philippensis, a small evergreen tree native to tropical India and other parts of Asia. The fruit produces a fine, powdery dye material containing natural colourants that produce beautiful golden yellow through to warm orange and tangerine shades.
Kamala is particularly beautiful on silk and wool, where it produces rich orange-yellow and golden shades. On cotton and other cellulose fibres, the colours tend to be lighter, ranging from soft yellow through to warm golden tones. It can also be modified or combined with other natural dyes to produce an interesting range of colours.
Colours
Kamala produces:
- Golden yellow
- Warm golden orange
- Orange-yellow
- Tangerine
- Deeper orange shades on protein fibres
- Deep moss green when modified with iron
- Forest green when overdyed or underdyed with Indigo
Kamala has moderate lightfastness on cotton, with deeper shades generally obtained on protein fibres such as silk and wool. As with all natural dyes, the final colour will depend on the fibre, mordant, dye concentration, extraction method and dyeing conditions.
Mordanting
For silk and wool, mordant with Alum at approximately 15% WOF (weight of fibre).
For cotton and other cellulose fibres, a tannin mordant followed by Alum can be used:
- Tannin – 8% WOF
- Alum – 15% WOF
Alternatively, Alum Acetate at approximately 8% WOF can be used.
Extracting Kamala
Kamala is not particularly soluble in water, so the colour should be extracted before dyeing.
Alcohol extraction:
Mix the Kamala powder with approximately twice its volume of isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirits. Allow to stand for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The resulting alcohol/Kamala mixture can then be added to the dyebath.
Soda Ash extraction:
Mix the Kamala powder with approximately half its weight of Soda Ash and twice its volume of water. Allow to stand, stirring occasionally, before adding the complete mixture to the dyebath.
After dyeing, rinse the fibre first in a vinegar solution and then thoroughly with water.
Beautiful Natural Colours
Kamala is a particularly rewarding natural dye for anyone wanting to explore warm yellow, orange and tangerine shades. It gives beautiful orange-yellow colours on silk and wool, while producing lighter yellow shades on cotton.
Try modifying Kamala with Iron for deep moss green, or combine it with Indigo to create beautiful forest greens.
Botanical Name: Mallotus philippensis
WOF = Weight of Fibre
Please Note: Natural dyes can produce variations in colour from one dye bath to another. Results are influenced by fibre type, mordanting, water quality, extraction method, dye concentration and dyeing temperature. We recommend carrying out a small test before dyeing larger quantities.
