For thousands of years, natural dyes have been celebrated for their subtlety and diversity--and, thanks to contemporary concerns about chemicals and toxins, their popularity is surging again. Fortunately, as this vibrant guide so elegantly shows, the craft is both easy and enjoyable to explore and requires no special equipment: just ordinary pots and pans. A thoroughly illustrated tutorial covers all the basics of hot and cool dyeing, and 30 colorful options to try, including roots and plants (madder, tumeric, henna), wood (cutch, fustic), flowers (safflower, dandelion, daffodil), leaves and stalks (tea, rhubarb, indigo), and fruits and vegetables (blackberry, wild cherry, avocado). From pale pinks and vibrant oranges to earthy browns and rich blues, a vast spectrum of hues awaits.

"For several thousand years, all dyes were of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin, and many ancient civilizations possessed excellent dye technologies. The first synthetic dye was produced in 1856, and the use of traditional dyes declined rapidly thereafter. By 1915 few non-synthetics were used by industry or craftspeople. The craft revivals of the 1920s explored traditional methods of natural dyeing to some extent, particularly with wool, although the great eighteenth- and nineteenth-century dye manuals, which recorded the older processes, remained largely forgotten. In The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing, J.N. Liles consolidates the lore of the older dyers with his own first-hand experience to produce both a history of natural dyes and a practical manual for using pre-synthetic era processes on all the natural fibers--cotton, linen, silk, and wool. A general section on dyeing and mordanting and a glossary introduce the beginner to dye technology. In subsequent chapters, Liles summarizes the traditional dye methods available for each major color group. Scores of recipes provide detailed instructions on how to collect ingredients--flowers, weeds, insects, wood, minerals--prepare the dyevat, troubleshoot, and achieve specific shades"--Publisher's description.

This long-awaited guide serves as a tool to explain the general principles of natural dyeing, and to help dyers to become more accomplished at their craft through an increased understanding of the process. Photos of more than 450 samples demonstrate the results of actual dye tests, and detailed information covers every aspect of natural dyeing including theory, fibers, mordants, dyes, printing, organic indigo vats, finishing, and the evaluation of dye fastness. Special techniques of printing and discharging indigo are featured as well. The book is intended for dyers and printers who wish to more completely understand the "why" and the "how," while ensuring safe and sustainable practices. Written by a textile engineer and chemist (Boutrup) and a textile artist and practitioner (Ellis), its detailed and tested recipes for every process, including charts and comparisons, make it the ideal resource for dyers with all levels of experience.

“Kristine’s book breaks down natural dyeing from both a scientific and creative perspective, making the process feel as approachable as it is beautiful.” —Design*Sponge Thousands of natural materials can produce glorious color—the insect cochineal produces pink, maroon, and purple, and more than 500 species of plants produce indigo blue. In The Modern Natural Dyer expert Kristine Vejar shares the most user-friendly techniques for dyeing yarn, fabric, and finished goods at home with foraged and garden-raised dyestuffs as well as with convenient natural dye extracts. Demystifying the “magic,” Vejar explains in explicit, easy-to-follow detail how to produce consistent, long-lasting color. With stunning photography of the dyes themselves, the dyeing process, and twenty projects for home and wardrobe (some to knit, some to sew, and some just a matter of submerging a finished piece in a prepared bath), The Modern Natural Dyer is a complete resource for aspiring and experienced dye artisans. “A terrific primer for anyone new to the technique. Kristine walks you through the ins and outs of the process, from defining what scouring and mordanting mean to helping you learn how best to achieve desired colors.” —DIY Network “Vejar’s lovely book is very sophisticated and detailed.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Absolutely stunning . . . The projects range from dyeing pre-made items like a slip, silk scarf or tote bag to dyeing yarn to knit a hat, shawl or cardigan . . . exceeded all my high expectations.” —Make Something

Describes traditional methods of extracting pigmented materials from trees and plants and provides several dye recipes

“Beautifully written as part travel memoir and part dyeing handbook . . . you are handed a wealth of knowledge in one book.” —Little Acorn Creations Similar to cooking and the act of sharing meals, our relationship to textiles is a core tenet of our human experience. Creating textiles cultivates connection, belonging, community, and friendships among people. In the world of textiles, natural dyeing is the closest we come to the act of cooking. Journeys in Natural Dyeing shares the story of Kristine Vejar and Adrienne Rodriguez’s travels to four countries—Iceland, Mexico, Japan, and Indonesia—where they visited natural dyers who use locally-sourced dyes to create textiles that evoke beauty, a connection to their environment, and showcase their mastery of skill. This book shares their process of using their own locally-grown dyes and includes recipes and projects to create more than 400 shades of color. In addition, you will learn how to use your own natural environment to create deep, beautiful colors. No matter where you live, creating color naturally is possible.

A beautiful book of seasonal projects for using the brilliant spectrum of colors derived from plants to naturally dye your clothing and home textiles. Organized by season, Natural Color is a beautifully photographed guide to the full range of plant dyes available, drawn from commonly found fruits, flowers, trees, and herbs, with accompanying projects. Using sustainable methods and artisinal techniques, designer, artist, and professor Sasha Duerr details achievable ways to apply these limitless color possibilities to your home and wardrobe. Whether you are new to dyeing or more practiced, Duerr's clear and simple ingredients lists, step-by-step instructions, and detailed breakouts on techniques such as shibori, dip-dye, and block printing will ensure beautiful results. With recipes to dye everything from dresses and sweaters to rugs and napkins, Natural Color will inspire fashion enthusiasts, home decorators, textile lovers, and everyone else who wants to bring more color into their life.

Do you love plants? Do you love crafting? Would you like to dye your own fabric, yarn or clothing? Learn the relaxing art of botanical dyeing with natural dyer, Rebecca Desnos. Connect with nature and open your eyes to the colour potential of plants. Discover how to: produce a wide palette of colours, including pink from avocados, yellow from pomegranates and coral from eucalyptus leaves; extract dye from just about any plant from the kitchen, garden or wild; use the ancient method of soya milk mordanting to achieve rich and long-lasting colour on plant fibres, such as cotton and linen; produce reliable colours that withstand washing and exposure to light.

Through step-by-step instructions and color-saturated photographs, textile designer Sasha Duerr explains the basics of making and using natural plant dye, from gathering materials and making the dyes to simple ideas for how to use them. --from publisher description

Natural Dyes for Textiles: Sources, Chemistry and Applications is an in-depth guide to natural dyes, offering complete and practical coverage of the whole dyeing process from source selection to post-treatments. The book identifies plants with high dye content that are viable for commercial use, and provides valuable quantitative information regarding extraction and fastness properties, to aid dye selection. The book presents newer natural dyes in detail, according to their suitability for cotton fabrics, silk fabrics, and wool yarn, before describing the application of each dye. Extraction of plant parts for isolation of colorants, chromatographic techniques for separation, spectroscopic analysis of the isolated colorants, structure elucidation, biomordanting, pretreatments, and post-treatments, are also covered. Prepared by an expert author with many years of experience in researching and writing on natural textile dyes, this book is an important resource for academic researchers, post-graduate students, textile manufacturers, technicians, dye practitioners, and those involved in textile dye research and development. - Written by an expert author with many years of experience in researching and writing on natural textile dyes - Provides quantitative information about extraction and fastness properties that will be valuable to those involved in dye selection - Offers complete and practical coverage of the whole dyeing process from source selection to post-treatments