Natural Dyeing

A gorgeous invaluable pocket book for natural dye enthusiasts covering all aspects of planning a dye garden, growing & harvesting, dyeing methods and colour charts, Choosing which plants to grow; getting & growing dye plants; planning a dye garden; dyeing with plants; colours & more colours. This is a portfolio of dye plants, well illustrated with variable results obtained on silk, wool, cotton using alternative mordants. Although a US publication, this book contains many plant varieties commonly grown in Australia, cottage garden plants and herbs. 112 pages A5 format USA 1995

All who work with fibres and textiles, as well as botanists and plant enthusiasts, will love this book. The authors, being both professional botanists, have selected forty eight plants from around the world and describe the structure and cultivation of each, it’s history as a dye source and the best method of use based on their own experience. Each plant is beautifully illustrated by Gretal Dalby-Quenet, a skilled botanical artist, in a full page painting that also shows the colours the plant can yield, some of these are saffron, indigo, madder, henna, elderberry. John Cannon was Keeper of Botany at The Natural History Museum, London until 1990. Margaret Cannon was a botanical researcher there also, and is now a specialised artisan of spinning, dyeing and weaving in the UK. Excellent publication. No longer readily available, an iconic collectors edition.

Jenny Dean, Master Dyer & Author of The Craft of Natural Dyeing, Wild Colour, and other gospels on the subject, has given us yet another excellent book. This small format book is fresh and appealing, well written and visually pleasing, laid out sequentially by colour, detailing plants & methods for obtaining the relevant colour. A comprehensive recipe section gives instructions on over 100 colours including both traditional dyes such as indigo, madder and weld to commonplace dyes from the kitchen and garden.  2009 UK

Artistic dyer and colourist, India Flint teaches you how to use leaves, roots, bark & flowers from the Australian bush to colour your cloth and yarn, as an ecologically sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes. The author explores the fascinating and infinite world of plant colour using a wide variety of techniques and recipes. Contents include the context of natural versus synthetic dyes, the protocol of collecting plant matter, ecological, health and safety matters in the workplace, natural dyestuffs, preparing, processing and applying dyes, using mordants, some special dye plant groups and special effects such as eco-printing. The only Australia-specific reference book currently in print on the subject, and a valuable addition to the library of the natural dye enthusiast. Large format hardback 238 pages 2008 Australia

A well written and photographed book for dyer knitters and spinners; Gail writes as she speaks and makes a compelling and encouraging read. This spiral bound, small format hardback book lies flat while you follow her clear, step by step instructions in your own kitchen. Contents include; your dye studio, fibres to dye for, dyes to try, colour power, no-fear dyeing, show off patterns. Spiral (hidden) hardback 168 pages 2010

A welcome, and astonishingly beautiful new publication on the subject of natural dyes. UK in origin, containing a few hedgerow plants that we won't see in Australia, but crammed full of plants we will. Beautiful detailed hand-painted illustrations adorn each recipe along with information on growing & foraging, and special section on designing a dyers garden. Judy Hardman is a master dyer/weaver/spinner, Sally Pinhey teaches botanical illustration and is a RHS medalist & illustrator of horticultural books. Contents include preparation for dyeing and dye techniques, how to dye felt in all its forms, solar dyeing and step by step instructions for silk, wool and cotton. This is a very special addition to the natural dye enthusiast's library of reference books.  2009 UK

Don't buy this book if you want to sit down and browse through a lot of inspirational coloured dye examples. This is a serious book for the dyer who wants to really know; while offering a brief history of dyeing and discussing the pre-synthetic dye era, Jim launches straight into a comprehensive documentation of his many years researching 18th and 19th century dyes, conducting experiments and trying to reproduce the achievements of our ancestors. He covers health & safety, scouring, mordanting, specifics for using silk and wool, and whole chapters to Yellow, Blue, including Logwood, Prussian & Indigo, Reds; Madder, St.John's Blood, Redwood, Indian Hopi reds, Greens, Purple, Oranges, Browns, Greys & Blacks. It is well written, in an easy to read format and offers step by step instructions to successful, lasting, vibrant colour. 222 pages 2006 edition ( first published 1990 ) USA

This book is an excellent resource for fibre artists wanting to colour textiles the natural way. Beautifully presented, organised by colour, clear, comprehensive information and instruction by two talented professional artisans, an excellent follow on from Tracy Kendall’s The Fabric and Yarn Dyers Handbook, now sadly out of print. Contents include;

• Understanding the basics, techniques for collecting & preparing dyestuffs
• Collecting your own dyestuffs
• Step by step directions from batik to dip-dyeing
• Dye techniques and mordants
• A dictionary of recipes for dyeing with madder, safflower, indigo, cochineal, alkanet and more
• Information about the effects of dyes on various fibres
• Safety, planning, recording, resources

For Natural Dye enthusiasts; first published in 1998, re-printed several times by popular demand and remains a current best seller. Jenny Dean is a master dyer, lecturer and author, this being the first of several excellent books on the subject. Well presented, illustrated to a high standard, informative, easy to follow and comprehensive. Organised into colours, Jenny has simplified the means to select the materials needed for the colour you want to achieve. The chapter on growing dye plants is equally relevant and achievable in the southern hemisphere.  soft cover 2009 UK

The best resource on Natural Dyeing is revised, updated & back!! This wonderful book is a practical, inspirational guide to using plant matter to create beautiful colour. A comprehensive text outlines all the necessary equipment, how to select fibres and plants, choose the right methods for mordanting & dyeing, test colour modifiers and fastness of dyed colour, how to obtain a range of gorgeous colour from every plant, beautifully illustrated in over 250 swatches. Each plant species is carefully explained and photographed, detailing the cultivation and harvesting, where found, availability, planting, growing and harvesting seasons, plant parts and different colour effects, dyeing procedure, mordants.  paperback 2010 USA

A newly released edition of Jenny's original gospel on the subject of Indigo. This classic book tells the compelling story of the worlds most valued and widely used natural dyestuff since ancient times. Indigo is natures only source of blue dye, produced from plants by a process akin to alchemy. The result of over 20 years of research, this is the only book to examine all aspects of this subject and is an incredible read. A wonderful,  valuable reference for all those interested in textiles, art and design, or the history of colour. Superbly written and illustrated in full, rich colour.