At one time I thought that I would experiment with applying a natural dye to my off-white PK. What I was considering using for the dunk was a solution made from walnut husks. I also considered saffron.

I made up the walnut solution and tried it with some scraps Jeff gave me. As dark as the dye looked, the best it could produce was a light brown. I even tried multiple dunks.

I tried a saffron solution and the color was a vibrant yellow/orange. I was hoping for a result comprised with a little more of an orange, but what I saw was nice. Saffron also costs a bit more though there are some grades available that would make this ok in the cost effective department.

Here is the thing that my research taught me about applying dye to material. First, most effective methods require that the material be boiled with the dye. I was not comfortable with this so I used a lengthy cold soak. Secondly, most effective methods require the use of a mordant to set the color. Otherwise, out it comes in the washing machine. The material can either be returned to the dye bath from time to time with the intention of restoring its vibrancy, or one can allow it to fade.

Ultimately, I decided to leave my PK as is, but I really like this idea about using sage and am be interested to hear the results of experiments in this regard.

For further info try this link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dye

Mychael