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Naturally Dyed Textiles for Mindful Living

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Care instructions

Natural Dyeing (Buntmachen & Blaumachen) {#naturfaerbung}

Natural dyes are vibrant. They come from plants, flowers, and minerals — and behave differently from synthetic pigments. With proper care, your pieces will remain beautiful, the colors intense, and the fibers intact.

For Your Atelier Piece

All blanks in the Cosmaki Atelier are pre-mordanted by us — prepared with metal salts so that the natural dyes adhere optimally and last a long time. This means you work with a ready-to-dye piece from the start, without having to worry about preparation.

After dyeing, we handle washing, fixing, and ironing. Nevertheless, some color may still come off during the first wash at home — this is normal with natural dyes and not a quality defect. For the first wash, wash separately, cold, and on a gentle cycle or by hand.

After that, the general care instructions below apply.

Washing

Wash naturally dyed textiles at 30°C — this protects the colors and is completely sufficient for a thorough cleaning. Use mild, environmentally friendly detergents without bleach or fabric softener. Both attack the fibers and cause natural colors to fade faster.

Select a low spin speed, prefer full loads — this saves water and protects the material.

For Blaumachen (Indigo): a special case
Indigo binds to the fiber differently than plant dyes from bundle dye. A slight bleeding (crocking) when rubbed, especially in the first few weeks, is part of the material and not a defect. Wash indigo-dyed pieces separately from light textiles and turn them inside out for washing. The increasingly lighter, shifting patina over time is intentional, not wear.

Drying

Ideally, air dry in the shade. Direct sunlight bleaches natural colors — especially in the first few weeks after dyeing. If using a dryer, only at low temperature. Gently reshape the piece while still slightly damp before it fully dries.

General Advice

Ventilating extends the time between washes — thus protecting color, fibers, and the environment. The less frequently washed, the longer the color intensity will be preserved.

Avoid aggressive detergents, bleach-based stain removers, and hot water. Natural dyes are sensitive to strong chemicals.

 

Cyanotype {#cyanotypie}

Cyanotype is not a dyeing process, but a photochemical printing process. The characteristic blue is created by UV light, not by pigments from plants or minerals. Therefore, the care instructions are different.

Washing
Wash cyanotype-printed textiles cold, by hand or on a gentle cycle, and turn the piece inside out. This protects the print from friction during washing. Use a mild, phosphate-free and pH-neutral detergent. Alkaline detergents, bleach, and stain removers decompose the image pigment, causing it to fade or turn yellowish. Wash less often rather than more; each wash slightly strains the print.

Drying
Air dry in the shade, not in a dryer. The blue deepens on its own within the first 24 hours after washing, so the final result will not be visible until the next day.

Ironing
If necessary, iron with a pressing cloth and a dry iron, do not use steam. Ironing directly on the print can damage the image.

General Advice
Hard water and calcareous environments can attack the blue over time, which is relevant with Cologne tap water. Store the piece in a rather cool place, not permanently exposed to the sun, if you want to preserve the depth of the blue for as long as possible.

Why naturally dyed textiles?

Naturally dyed textiles are free from synthetic pigments — gentler on the skin, kinder to the environment. The colors are created by plants, flowers, barks, and minerals that have been used for dyeing for centuries. Each piece carries this history within it.