The Benibana Museum (The Safflower Museum)

13. Benibana Dyeing for Everybody (誰にでもできる紅花染)

Pluck the petal. (At the time when the color of flower turns to bright yellow and becomes crimson.)
Rinse them in water.
Wring slightly and close tight in plastic bag.
Take them after overnight and grind them in a mortar.
Wring tightly the ground flowers and take a shape of coin and dry them for one week or so in a ventilated shade. This coin shaped is called "beni-mochi" (紅餅).
Take "beni-mochi" into a cotton bag and "beni-mochi" and cloth needs an equal weight. Put them in water and give an occasional wring and leave them overnight.
After overnight, the water has yellow color. Take out the cotton bag from water and wring. This yellow water is used for yellow-water dye.
Change the water again. Put the bag in the water for five hours or so and wring again. Repeat this three times a day.
Continue the previous process (8) about a week, till the yellow water doesn't come out.
Get 8% potassium carbonate liquid at a drug store. And put the previous bag into the liquid.
Squeeze out the water every ten minutes and wring after 30 minutes' rubbing.
Return the No.11 process in newly changed liquid.
Return the No.12 process and make enough liquid of dye for three times.
Gather the liquid. This is the dye for red color dyeing
Put the cloth to be dyed into water and give a slight wring.
Begin dyeing the cloth.
Make liquid of a tea cup full of 10% citric acid that was bought at a drugstore. And take the cloth up from water and pour two cups of the liquid and soak the cloth.
Repeat the No.17 process until a tea cup full of citric acid is all consumed. (To pour the liquid little by little prevents the unevenness of dyeing.)
Move the cloth sometimes not to make an unevenness.
Take the cloth out of the liquid after the red color is changed to yellow.
Make the 10% citric acid liquid again and soak the cloth about ten minutes and settle the color.
Rinse the dyed cloth and dry it in the shade.

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