Natural functionalisation of a traditional textile "Ehram"

This study is focused on the natural functionalisation of a traditional woven fabric called "Ehram". Which is a wool based woven fabric constituted from wool yarns that are originally coloured and used in different cities of the Eastern Anatolian Region, Turkey. Because these fabrics were originally coloured (pigmented), the study aimed to functionalise them with minimal colour changes from their original colour. For this aim; lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) which is also a natural source of pleasant odour was used in finishing of Ehram. The colour changes by the application of the lavender on Ehram and the benefits that come out from the use of lavender were then analysed and presented in the study. In this respect, antibacterial activities (against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) of dyed samples were tested within the scope of the study. In addition, colour measurements (K/S and CIE L*a*b* C* and h(o)) and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) microspectroscopy analyses of dyed fabric samples were made and microscope images were taken. It was observed that lavender with a copper-based mordanting agent can present antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli in Ehram.