Dyeing porcupine quills with madder root

In this video, I demonstrate how to dye porcupine quills using madder root, a historical dye widely used in quillwork by Native American artisans across the Eastern Woodlands, the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the Columbia Plateau.

Madder root has been used in Europe for centuries as a red dye, famously for British Army red coats. During the fur trade era, Europeans introduced madder root, indigo, and cochineal to Native Americans as trade goods, and these dyes quickly became popular for quillwork. Many preserved originals show orange-dyed quills that match madder root shades perfectly.

In this tutorial, I cover:
✅ Mordanting quills with cream of tartar for better dye absorption
✅ Extracting dye from madder root and maintaining the correct temperature
✅ Achieving vibrant, historical orange shades seen in period artifacts
✅ Fixing the color with vinegar and proper drying techniques

🎥 Note on color accuracy: Video production, lighting, camera settings, and YouTube’s compression can alter how colors appear on screen. The true shades may differ slightly from what you see in this video.

If you’re interested in fur trade reenacting, traditional quillwork, or historical dyeing methods, this tutorial will guide you through the process step by step.

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