The best and most permanent shade of cream color is obtained in the following manner: Thoroughly wash and rinse your feathers to remove every particle of dirt, for it is as necessary to have the feathers clean as if they were for a white, and if they are very dirty or old faded out colors, put them through the permanganate of potash process, and then remove all color. Prepare bath of one gallon of luke warm water and a small handful of starch; enter feathers and rub around in bath between the hands; meantime dilute in about one pint of boiling water a small five-cent package of essence of coffee (commonly called chicory), and boil for a few minutes; then add a few drops of the liquid to the bath, and add thereto a teaspoonful of oxalic acid. Re-enter feathers and let remain in bath about one minute, constantly moving them around; after which squeeze them out and dry, either in starch or on a clean board.
The result will be a rich and permanent cream. Should a pink or brownish tint be required to match sample, a drop of Bismarck brown added to bath will produce the desired result; or if wanted a little more yellow, a few grains of turmeric added to the bath will answer.
CREAM—page [25]. LIGHT BLUE—page [21].
LAVENDER—page [38]. SALMON—page [71].
SILVER GRAY.
A very delicate color, requiring feathers almost a pure white to make a clear shade. After thoroughly washing and rinsing, or bleaching if required, with permanganate of potash, prepare a bath of one gallon of luke warm water, and add a small handful of starch. Enter feathers and manipulate between the hands; then add to bath a small piece of copperas, about the size of a pea, and a few drops of diluted logwood liquor; re-enter feathers and let remain in bath until in appearances they are two or three shades darker than sample; then add to bath a couple of drops of diluted violet, first removing feathers from bath; let them remain in a few seconds longer, and squeeze out and dry in the usual way. The violet gives your feathers the brilliant shade that is so desirable in silver grays.
Be careful in drying them not to use starch that has been previously used in drying feathers that have been dyed in acid baths, as it would be liable to spot your color. Should you, through carelessness or otherwise, allow your color to get darker than shade desired, rinse feathers off a couple of times in cold water to remove starch; then dilute half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water, and pass feathers through it for a few seconds, and then rinse off twice in boiling water. After which prepare a bath same as per recipe, using more care, and pass feathers through until you have obtained the desired shade.