I wanted to share my experiments with raw fleece which I did some time ago now but this is how it went.
After dyeing the fabric in the onion skin dye bath I introduced a sample of raw fleece leaving it to soak overnight. The raw fleece has been lightly treated with a boiling hot water and washing up liquid wash before adding it to the dye bath. It seems more resistant to absorbing colour, which posed a new challenge in this natural dyeing experiment. By morning, I found that while the fleece had taken on a hint of colour, the resulting shade was quite pale—much lighter than the fabrics previously tested.
The natural oils and lanolin present in raw fleece can act as a barrier to dye absorption, likely contributing to a subtler colour outcome. This experiment underscored that for raw, unprocessed fibres like fleece, an extended soak time is essential to achieve a deeper, richer colour. In future dye baths, I might pre-treat the fleece to remove some of the natural oils or extend the dyeing period to multiple days to encourage the pigments to penetrate more fully.
This initial trial with raw fleece provided valuable insights into how different fibres interact uniquely with natural dyes. For richer, bolder hues on raw fleece, longer exposure and possibly even layering dye sessions may be necessary.
Each material—whether organic bamboo flannel, velour, raw silk, orraw fleece—brings its own qualities to the dyeing process, creating a unique palette of tones and textures that can be tailored by adjusting techniques, times, and dye concentrations.
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