To improve their dyeing and colorfastness properties, degummed Bombyx inori silks were chemically modified by a grafting technique with either methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer or methacrylamide (MAA) monomer. Both commercial synthetic dyes, that is, acid and basic dyes, and natural dyes extracted from turmeric, without and with potassium aluminum sulfate mordant, were used in this study. Percentage dye uptake increased with the presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) or polymethacrylamide in the silk fibroin structure regardless of the types of the dyestuffs. Furthermore, compared to the degummed silk, the colorfastness to washing of the MMA-grafted and MAA-grafted silks dyed with acid, basic, and curcumin dyestuffs were greatly improved. Colorfastness to both acid and basic perspirations with acid and basic dyestuffs was slightly improved, whereas perspiration fastness remained unchanged for curcumin dyeing without and with the presence of the mordant. Also, the low-light resistances of the degummed and grafted silks dyed by curcumin dyestuff were notably improved by the MMA and MAA grafting technique. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.