Undyed Şile Cotton Fabric (Cybele)

Undyed Şile cotton fabric (Cybele) is a light, breathable 100% cotton inspired by the traditional cloth of Şile, a town on Turkey's Black Sea coast famous for its airy summer fabric. It is left undyed and untreated, so it takes natural dyes evenly. Use it for summer shirts and dresses, scarves, curtains and home textiles.

Details

• Fiber: 100% cotton
• Width: 150 cm (59 in), ±5%
• Sold by the yard: 1 yard (92 cm), 2 yards (183 cm) or 3 yards (274 cm), cut in one continuous piece
• Finish: undyed, unbleached, no coatings
• Care: wash gently at 30 °C (86 °F). Expect some shrinkage when you first scour it.

How to dye Şile cotton

1. Scour: simmer with 2–5% WOF soda ash and a little pH-neutral soap, then rinse.
2. Mordant: soak in a tannin such as white oak gall (8–10% WOF), then in alum (12–15% WOF) with 1.5–2% soda ash.
3. Dye: with madder for reds, weld for yellows or indigo for blues (indigo needs no mordant).

Step-by-step: how to prepare fabric · how to mordant cotton and linen.

Related: All undyed fabrics · Natural dyeing with themazi woven fabrics

Frequently asked questions

Is Şile cotton fabric ready to dye?

Yes. It is undyed and untreated. Scour it first, then mordant it with tannin and alum for most natural dyes.

How wide is the fabric?

150 cm (59 in), with a possible variation of ±5%.

How is it sold?

By the yard. Orders of 2 or 3 yards are cut in one continuous piece.