Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Norman and British Living History

Regia Anglorum Natural Dye Project

Over the past few years a number of Regia members have been involved in a project of dyeing natural fibres using natural dyes. The aim has been to produce a set of authentic colours that all Regia members can use to compare against commercially available fabrics when creating their own kit.

The tables below detail the results of various combinations of dyes and mordents. Along with each combination is a unique Regia code (which can be cross-refenced to further information about the dye job, e.g. water pH, dye vessel used, etc.) and an Appletons colour/code. You can obtain Appletons shade cards from www.embroiderywool.co.uk and use these in conjunction with the tables below to identify authentically coloured fabrics.
[NB: * indicates inauthentic components of the dye process.]

If you would like to contribute to the project please download this form. Please print this out for EACH sample sent in.

Yellow

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Bright Yellow 3/4	Weld	Alum	White wool	Strong	R001
Heraldic Gold 4	Weld	Alum	White wool	Dark	R002
Honeysuckle Yellow 2	Bearberry leaves	Iron, oak galls	White wool	Apricot beige	R003
Honeysuckle Yellow 2	Lady’s Bedstraw	Alum	Wool	Creamy apricot beige	R014
Autumn Yellow 3	Persian berries	Tin	Wool	Strong egg yolk	R023
Autumn Yellow 3/4	Persian berries	Tin and vinegar	Wool	Vivid egg yolk	R024
Bright Yellow 3	Weld	Alum	Wool	Acid yellow	R025
Brown Olive 2	Onion skins	Tin and iron	Wool	Dull golden yellow	R026
Lemon 996	Woad over Weld	-	Wool	Pale lemon	R039
Bright Yellow 2	Woad over Weld	-	Linen	Very pale yellow	R042
Lime 997	Woad over Weld	-	Linen	Lime	R043
Bright Yellow 1/2	Weld	Alum	Silk	Pale citrus yellow	R058
Bright Yellow 3	Weld	Alum	Wool	Acid yellow	R059
Bright Yellow 3	Weld	Tannin and alum	Linen - bleached	Acid yellow	R060
Autumn Gold 4	Weld	Tannin and alum	Linen- unbleached	Dark acid yellow	R061
Honeysuckle Yellow 5 / Heraldic Gold 3	Weld	Tannin and alum	Hemp	Dull mustard	R062
Heraldic Gold 3/4	Onion skins / Turmeric	Copper sulphate and salt	Wool	Mustard	R063
Autumn Yellow 4	Onion skins	Tin	Wool	Dull egg yolk	R064
Custard Yellow 851	Madder / weld	Alum	Wool	Pale custard	R072
Autumn yellow 5	Onion skins	Alum	Wool	Orange	R077
Honeysuckle Yellow 2	Black Lovage	Alum	Wool	Creamy yellow	R078
Autumn Yellow 5	Turmeric	-	Wool	Inyerface orange	R079
Honeysuckle Yellow 2	Mixed onion skins	Alum	Wool	Creamy apricot beige	R080
Heraldic Gold 3	Mixed onion skins	Alum	Wool	Dull mustard	R081
Brown Olive 1/2	Mixed onion skins	Alum	Wool	Mustard	R082
Bright Yellow 2	Weld	Potash alum and chalk	Wool	Bright pale yellow	R083
Heraldic Gold 4	Weld	Potash alum and chalk	Wool	Bright yellow	R084
Bright Yellow 1/2	Weld	Potash alum and chalk	Wool	Pale yellow	R085
Bright Yellow 3	Weld	Potash alum and chalk	Wool	Bright yellow	R086
Bright Yellow 3/4	Weld	Potash alum and chalk	Wool	Dark yellow	R087
Honeysuckle Yellow 4/5	Onion skins	Tin	Wool	Dull old gold	R094
Honeysuckle Yellow 3	St John’s wort	Alum	Wool	Light custard	R095
Custard Yellow 851	Poplar buds	Chrome*	Wool	Apricot pale	R096
Autumn Yellow 3/4	Poplar buds	Chrome*	Wool	Dingy egg yolk	R097

Red

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Flame Red 5	Madder	Alum (tinned copper)	Wool	Light orangey red	R020
Terracotta 4/5	Madder	Alum (tinned copper)	Grey wool	Pinky reddish brown	R021
Paprika 2	Madder	Alum	Silk	Dark terracotta	R044
Flame Red 5/6	Madder	Alum	Silk	Copper pink	R045
Coral 5	Madder	Alum	Wool	Pinky red	R046
Paprika	Madder	Alum	Wool	Dark terracotta brown	R047
Dull Coral 854	Madder	Alum	Wool	Dark salmon	R048
Paprika 6	Madder	Alum	Wool	Bright rust red	R049
Flame Red 8/9	Woad over madder	-	Wool	Pinky rust	R050
Flame Red 6	Woad over madder	-	Linen	Dark copper pink	R052
Terracotta 6	Madder	Tannin and alum	Linen	Pinky reddish brown	R065
Flame Red 7	Madder	Tannin and alum	Hemp	Dark copper pink	R066
Coral 3 / Dull Coral 854	Madder and weld	Alum	Wool	Burnt orange	R073
Flame Red 7 / Paprika 4	Madder	Iron	Wool	Russet	R088
Terracotta 3	Madder	Iron	Wool	Salmon	R089
Terracotta 2	Madder	Iron	Wool	Dull salmon	R090
Paprika 2	Madder	-	Wool	Bright russet	R091
Flame Red 6	Madder	-	Wool	Terracotta pot	R092
Flame Red 5	Madder	-	Wool	Copper pink	R093

Green

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Brown Olive 2	Bearberry leaves, overdyed weld	Iron, oak galls	White wool	Dark mustard	R004
Brown Olive 1	Weld	Iron water	White wool	Greenish gold	R005
Early English Green 8	Woad overdye weld	Alum	White wool	Baize	R006
Drab Green 2	Dock	Copper sulphate	Wool	Washed out golden beige	R015
Mid Olive Green 2	Ground ivy	Copper sulphate	Wool	Washed out olive	R016
Mid Olive Green 1	Young bracken leaves	Chrome*	Wool	Washed out olive	R018
Drab Green 1/2	Weld	Copper sulphate	Wool	Washed out golden olive	R027
Jacobean Green 2/3	Bracken young leaves	Copper sulphate	Wool	Dull olive	R028
Grey Green 1	Woad	-	Wool	Very washed out blue green	R035
Grass Green 3	Woad over weld	-	Wool	Fresh grass	R036
Early English Green 3	Woad over weld	-	Wool	Grass green	R037
Lime 997	Woad over weld	-	Wool	Lime	R038
Early English Green 2	Woad over weld	-	Silk	Washed out yellow green	R040
Grey Green 2	Woad over weld	-	Silk	Very pale green
Drab Green 4/Olive Green 3	Weld	Alum (iron) and cream of tartar	Wool	Olive green	R075
Grass Green	Weld	Alum (iron) and cream of tartar	Wool	Light green	R076
Drab Green 3/Olive Green 2	Weld	Alum (iron) cream of tartar	Wool	Light olive	R099
Jacobean Green 2	Elderberries	Chrome*	Wool	Dull ivy green	R100

Brown

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Elephant Grey 6	Woad overdyed madder	-	White wool	Dark brown grey	R012
Iron Grey 8	Woad overdyed madder	-	White wool	Slate brown	R013
Fawn 1	Oak	Chrome*	Wool	Golden fawn	R017
Golden Brown 5	Madder	Alum, in tinned copper	Shetland moorit wool	Red brown	R019
Biscuit Brown 5/6	Woad over madder	-	Silk	Copper	R051
Red Fawn 3	Walnut hull	-	Silk	Mid brown	R053
Biscuit Brown 7	Walnut hull	-	Wool	Chestnut	R054
Putty Groundings 6	Walnut hull	-	Linen	Milky coffee	R055
Brown Olive 3	Onion skins	Copper sulphate	Wool	Old gold	R067
Biscuit Brown 1/2	Onion skins	Iron	Wool	Dark fawn	R068
Chocolate 2	Elderberries	Alum	Wool	Nondescript beige	R069
Biscuit Brown 1	Walnut (All)	-	Wool	Fawn	R074

Blue

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Bright China Blue 9	Woad overdyed madder	-	White wool	French navy	R007
Bright China Blue 5	Woad	-	White wool	Wedgwood	R008
Bright China Blue 6	Woad	-	White wool	Denim	R009
Bright China Blue 7	Woad	-	White wool	Dark denim	R010
Bright China Blue 8	Woad	-	White wool	Navy	R011
Turquoise 1	Woad	-	Wool	Washed out turquoise	R029
Turquoise 2	Woad	-	Wool	Pale turquoise	R030
Turquoise 2	Woad	-	Wool	Turquoise	R031
Sky Blue 4/5	Woad	-	Wool	Light denim	R032
Sky Blue 1	Woad	-	Linen	Baby blue	R033
Peacock Blue 1	Woad	-	Wool	Washed out blue green	R034

Purple

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Mauve 5	Woad over cochineal	-	Wool	Mulberry pink	R056
Mauve 3	Woad over cochineal	-	Wool	Dull mulberry pink	R057

Pink

Appleton Colour/Code	Natural Dye	Mordent	Yarn	Colour Produced	Regia Code
Flame Red 3	Madder	Alum (tinned copper)	Wool	Salmon	R022
Dull Rose Pink 1 / Flame Red 3	Elderberries	Salt	Wool	Dull pinky salmon	R070
Dull Mauve 1	Elderberries	Salt	Wool	Pinky beige	R071
Flesh Tint 3	St. John's Wort	Alum	Wool	Flesh	R098