Successful Fibre Art: Preparation is Half the Battle Part 3 Prep for Dyeing
This is the third part in the Preparation for Fibre Art series. Part one discussed the washing part of preparation, particularly for fleece, yarn, and fabric. Part two discussed card and combing...
View ArticleLoom Controlled Shibori Scarf: A Rigid Heddle Loom Tutorial
Shibori is the ancient Japanese art of indigo dying. Utilizing resists on fabric, and the richest of indigo vats, Shibori is one of the best ways to highlight the subtlety of natural indigo dye. This...
View ArticleMordants: An Overview of Mordants for Natural Dyes
The majority of natural dyes, whether chemical dyes or natural dyes, adhere to the fiber through a chemical bond. With straight dye and fiber, this bond is easy to degrade and break. However, some...
View ArticleNatural Dye Tutorial: Direct Contact Dyeing
Experiments are one of my favorite things to do with fiber and natural dyes. It is always exciting to unveil something, and not have a clue what it will look like because it was all an experiment. It...
View ArticleNatural Dyeing Yellow with Weld
For me, the perfect time of year to indulge in natural dyeing is autumn. The days are shortening, and one’s thoughts seem to naturally incline to more creative and fiber-y pursuits. Having a wood cook...
View ArticleMordants: How to Safely Prepare a Mild Copper Mordant
Having talked a bit about mordanting in the past, I would like to focus in on a single mordant. Copper is one of the easiest mordants to create oneself, and while copper can be toxic in high...
View ArticleTop Five Safe and Fun Natural Dyes to use with Kids
Some of the most enjoyable times I have spent with natural dyes, was when I was teaching adults and families how to successfully use natural dyes. Many families have children of varying ages, and it...
View ArticleFive Techniques to Test Any Plant for Natural Dye Color
Almost any natural dye book will tell you what the common natural dye plants are, what colors you can get from them, and the method to employ to do so. However, no matter how well-tested a method you...
View ArticleA Quick History of Tie Dye in Natural Dyes
A look at the history of tie-dye shows that it is a fun and bright dye style that is rooted in traditional shibori dyeing techniques. As well as other resist dye techniques from other cultures. Shibori...
View ArticleHistorical Herbal Dyes for Clothing and Fabric
Historically, herbal dyes were the only source of colorant for most of the population. Many of these herbs were neither colorfast, nor washfast, yet they were still used and enjoyed. Re-dyeing, and...
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