The old people had many ways for making dye but the best and quickest method was to make it from the bark of trees - usually the bark of the elder tree was used. It was put into water and allowed to boil until it turned quite black, then it was used to dye clothes black. There were several ways for varying the colours of the dye, for example if a well beaten egg was added to the black the mixture turned quite yellow and thus the articles could be dyed yellow. The dye could never be used hot as it would run off the clothes again.