Over dyeing a rifle frock

[R.D.Metcalf]

I  have  a  rifle  frock  I  bought  years  ago  from Mike Branson,  its  walnut  dyed  and  has  faded.  I'm  interested  in  dyeing  it  a  more  interesting  color.  I'm  thinking  green or  rust  might  be  a  realistic  option...but  I  know  nothing  about  dyeing  fabrics.  Any  helpful  advice  would  be  appreciated.   

[Stophel]

Well, getting the new color to be "pure" over the old brown will be impossible.  It will always impart a brown color to the new.  Bleach destroys fabric, so don't use it.  I do NOT know if RIT "color remover" works, or what long term effect it will have on the fabric.

Green is possible with natural dyes.  Well, with one natural dye... Stinging nettles. I've been meaning to go out and fetch me up a mess of them myself to try my hand at green dying.  Different mordants will yield different green colors (alum, ferrous sulphate, etc).  Of course, with the brown color underneath, you will likely get an olive color... which might not be so bad anyway!

Now, a rust color might overdye pretty well over the brown.  "Turkey Red" (madder red) is already a bit rusty orange color.  It is certainly a period correct dye and color.   

[Collector]

Queen Anne's lace would be interesting... 

[R.D.Metcalf]

Many  thanks to  both  of  you.  I'll  have  to  think  about  it  for  a  bit  but   I  go  through  a  patch  of  Stinging  nettles to  my  favorite  fishing  hole, then  again  I  have  some  queen  annes  lace  available  in  the  pasture,  so both will  be  easy  to  obtain.

[T*O*F]

Now, a rust color might overdye pretty well over the brown.

Where are you from?  That red dirt that is so prevalent in some areas of the south will make a permanent rusty dye.  When I was stationed at Ft. Benning years ago, all my white socks and T-shirts went in the garbage when I left because of their color.

[R.D.Metcalf]

I'm  in  the  mountains  of  N.C.  No  disrespect  meant,  but  my  wife  looked  awful  mean  at  me  when  I  heated  sand  on the stove   to  shape  a leather  ball  flask,  mud  is  out  of  the  question.   

[P.W.Berkuta]

I'm  in  the  mountains  of  N.C.  No  disrespect  meant,  but  my  wife  looked  awful  mean  at  me  when  I  heated  sand  on the stove   to  shape  a leather  ball  flask,  mud  is  out  of  the  question.   

That's funny -- I love your statement "but my wife looked awful mean" -- I remember those days very well

[T*O*F]

mud  is  out  of  the  question

You don't need to heat it on the stove.  Just wait til the next time it rains and put your frock in a mud puddle and make sure it's well covered and leave it until it dries up.  Rinse it well, then find a mordant that will fix iron and boil it in that.  Tell her you're washing it.

I also seem to remember that Sumac can be used to give colors from olive thru charcoal gray to black depending on the mordant used.

[R.D.Metcalf]

I  think   I'll  stick  with  stinging  nettles  and  see  what  happens.   

[cmac]

My mother does a lot of dying. She gets a nice green with boiled onion skins but you need a bunch of em!

[Hungry Horse]

 I colonial times, certain colors were problematic, in that either they were hard to get a good strong color, or they didn't retain their color well, even though a mordant was used. A good strong green color was one such color. Rust, and shades of orange/brown can be made by using yellow or red onion skins. This also will color horn if left to simmer with the skins and cider vinegar.

                  Hungry Horse

[Stophel]

Green is the most difficult color to come by with natural dyes.  With all the greenery that is around us, very few plants will actually yield any kind of usable green dye.  It seems that in the 18th century, green was primarily made by double dying, blue and yellow (usually indigo and weld, or maybe "Quercitron" oak bark)

I went out the other day, and couldn't find any nettles at all.  I found that Plantain roots are supposed to make a green dye.  Well, I got zillions of them growing in the yard, and I pulled up a big mess of them and boiled them up.  With that, and some Queen Anne's Lace I threw in, and a ferrous sulphate mordant, I got a very attractive sage green.... but unfortunately, a VERY light sage green, barely darker than the natural color of the linen.  I suspect that wool would have dyed more readily, as wool always dyes better than cotton or linen.

[R.D.Metcalf]

I'm  very  glad  I  posted  this  question  you  guys  are  very  helpful.  My  thanks  to  all  of  you  for  minding  my  question

[Clark Badgett]

Cut grass seems to stain everything green. Ever tried grass clippings? Just asking, I don't know.