ceriops tagal extract from threads of life

Ceriops Dye Extract from Threads of Life

Ceriops Dye Extract from Threads of Life Ceriops tagal, also known as Indian mangrove, is prized for its tannin-rich bark. Mangroves are widely distributed in Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia and parts of Australia and the Pacific. They are an important tree in coastal ecosystems. Mangroves are under tremendous environmental stress from herbicide runoff to clear cutting groves for aquaculture. Strong mangrove management is vital to protect them. However, allowing for selective harvest is key to supporting both village economic demands and mangroves. There are controlled mangrove ecosystems that have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for environmental management and protection. It … Read more

Petal Pusher Natural Dye Sock Kit – PRE ORDER

Petal Pushers Natural Dye Sock Kit We have designed possibly the easiest, most fun and magical natural dye kit to date. This is the perfect gift for a newbie dyer. Simply add water and let magic take its time.  Get a few and have a party with friends! It would also make a great stocking stuffer (pun intended) for the holidays. This kit comes with a pair of Mordanted Bamboo Socks, (women’s crew length, size 9-11) and a generous sprinkling of our logwood chips, organically grown marigolds and ground madder roots.  The instructions are simple. We give you two options. … Read more

Organically Grown Sulfur Cosmos Flowers

Sulfur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus) is a member of the cosmos family. It is a real treat to have in the natural dye garden. This is another New World native, indigenous to Mexico and Central America. The vigorous annual readily self-seeds, attracts pollinators and yields masses of bright orange flowers. You can use them either fresh or dried. Add the flowers directly into the dye bath and watch as they make a wonderful, sunny orange shade that brightens the winter palette, or scatter them for eco-printing. If you are familiar with dyeing with coreopsis, sulfur cosmos makes a brighter shade with … Read more

Dyer’s Chamomile Dried Flowers

We are very pleased to offer a limited run of Dyer’s Chamomile dried flowers for bundle, immersion or other types of flower printing.  This is another easy-to-grow dye plant that is also a perennial in most climates but it should be replanted every few years.  Its botanical name is Anthemis tinctoria and it’s also known as golden marguerite, Boston daisy and Cota tinctoria. The chamomile is organically grown in the US and yields a rich, strong yellow that’s warmer than weld.The flowers have amusing small button faces make you smile when using them in your work. This offering is the … Read more

Black Hollyhock

We’ve unearthed our stash of Black Hollyhock blossoms and are eager to kick off some summer dyeing projects. Black hollyhock is a bit of a grandstander – all beautiful and lush and deeply pigmented blossoms that can be fragile in terms of wash and lightfastness. And for the color? It’s like a grand science experiment as well as somewhat unpredictable whether you will achieve a purple, a blue, a gray or a green. However, they are all lovely colors and it’s always a virtuous exercise in learning how to let go a bit as the color mellows and changes with … Read more

Organically Grown Marigold Flowers

We love how marigold makes a beautiful and easy color that captures summer even when the weather is cold and gray. As a familiar garden plant, they brighten flower borders and are a companion plant in organic gardening. The marigold (Tagetes erecta) is native to Central America. The Aztecs used it as a flavoring ingredient for cacao and it was important in Aztec rituals. In Mexico, marigold is also referred to as “Flor de Muertos” (Flowers of the Dead) and used in the Dia de Muertos festivals and ceremonies. The deeply scented and brightly colored Mexican marigold is believed to … Read more

Organically grown Dahlia Flowers

Sold in 30g packages Dahlias are some of the showiest late summer stunners and each year we wait for our dahlias, knowing that they will send up many outrageously beautiful flower heads that also make a lovely natural dye. Enjoy summer with these dried dahlia heads. Like zinnias, they produce a soft yellow but so much of their beauty is in the dye pot. The dried flower heads unfurl like a tea blossom and are a lovely sight. For more instructions, please see our how to page. A perfect gift for the gardener and dyer. 30 grams will dye about … Read more

Image of whole yellow onion with flaking onion skin

Onion Skins

Sold in 50g packages. Onion skins are such a beautiful dyestuff and gift from the kitchen. They are often one of the first natural dyestuffs used with new dyers and in classrooms. We remove the brown papery peels when we’re cooking and tuck them away until we have enough for a dye bath. In the dye pot, the smell of onions evoke a pot of soup simmering on the stove. The color yield is a warm gold to rust to green and depends on the onion skin color, how much you use and if you use iron in the dye … Read more

Lobster Mushrooms – Hypomyces lactifluorum

Lobster Mushrooms – Hypomyces lactifluorum We unearthed our collection of lobster mushrooms during the move. Some of them Kathy foraged at a friend’s property a few years back. The lobster mushroom is interesting because it is not a mushroom but rather a parasitic fungus that grows on certain species of mushrooms, resulting in a bright orange color.  It is an edible mushroom, but our specimens are not to be eaten as we harvested mushrooms that were past their prime and left the perfect ones for another forager’s mushroom risotto. Lobster mushrooms infects a mushroom species, Russula brevipes and causes the outside … Read more

The Easy 1-2-3 Fructose Indigo Kit

The 1-2-3 fructose indigo vat is one of our most popular vats for its ease of use and good, strong colors. We made things easy to start your new indigo adventure with this kit that has enough pre-measured indigo and auxiliaries to make a rich vat in a 5-gallon bucket. We’re also including 4 linen blend cocktail napkins that you can dip and make a set of pretty napkins or just use them to show gradations of indigo. The bundle is packaged in an organic cotton bag, that can also be dyed! Experiment with gradation dyeing, shibori, or get into … Read more