Botanical Colors

Aluminum Acetate Mordant Bundle – Group & Save

Aluminum acetate is a purified mordant powder that creates bright colors on plant fibers like cotton, linen, hemp, Tencel, viscose and other plant-based fibers. It is an alternative mordant to traditional tannins. Mordanting is an important step in natural dyeing as it helps improve light and wash-fastness. Its purpose is to provide a bond between the fiber and the dye molecule. Without a mordant bond, natural dye colors will fade, change color and wash out. Detailed instructions on working with aluminum acetate are available here. Because recommend using either calcium carbonate (chalk) or wheat bran with aluminum acetate, we have bundled these products … Read more

In Person Mushroom Dye Workshop at Botanical Colors

In Person Mushroom Dye Workshop at Botanical Colors Saturday November 15 10AM to 4PM 503 S Michigan St, Ste B, Seattle WA 98108 It is dye mushroom season and we are back with a one day experience dyeing mushrooms for color! Join us on Saturday November 15 for a hands-on mushroom dye day with Kathy Hattori and Jessica Galindo. We will be working at Botanical Colors Studio in Seattle at 503 S Michigan St, Ste B, Seattle WA 98108. The workshop will run from 10-4 PM and is limited to 14 participants. We will be working with sport weight wool … Read more

From Plant to Pigment by Natalie Stopka

From Plant to Pigment: How to make your own vibrant inks, pastels and paints By Natalie Stopka Natalie’s book is on re-order and we expect it in mid-November. Feel free to order and we will ship when it is received. Thank you! The many plants that surround and sustain us are rich with color. With a little alchemical know-how, you can transform the brilliant hues of our botanical companions from liquid dye to granular pigment, supplying myriad artistic uses as paint, ink and pastel. Today’s art suppliers are stocked with very refined and chemically pure colors. But for those of … Read more

Discover Shibori by Debbie Maddy

Discover Shibori by Debbie Maddy Debbie is a skilled, enthusiastic and wonderful instructor, and she’s traveled to Asia, learning techniques from Japanese masters. As a result, her instruction, technique and results are really exceptional, and she shows us how to achieve similar results! We are so pleased to have her as a friend and a mentor with her approach to shibori. Explore the captivating world of traditional Shibori techniques. Learn techniques such as shape resist, stitch resist, pole wrapping, pleat, bind, looped binding, and bound resist in this practical guide by expert shibori teacher Debbie Maddy. From selecting and preparing … Read more

Online Workshop Recording of Eco-Printing Deep Dive with Monica Medeiros

Online Workshop Recording of Eco-Printing Deep Dive with Monica Medeiros of Brico Press Recording and PDF download The workshop will be available for 6 months after the workshop date (until April 30, 2026). Eco-Printing is a bewitching process that uses the natural dye properties of plants to create prints on fabric and paper. In this workshop we will learn the basics and the intricacies of the art of eco-printing on silk and cotton fabrics. We begin with an introduction to the two bedrock principles to getting vivid prints: mordants and contact. Monica will review the tools needed and discuss foraging … Read more

Jan 24th, 2026 – Twilight Tannins with Cara Marie Piazza

Twilight Tannins Online workshop with Cara Piazza Saturday January 24, 2026 from 10AM-1PM Pacific (1PM-4PM Eastern) Formerly called Tannin Grayscale The workshop will be recorded and available for 180 days after purchase. The backstory: Cara is famous for her moody, New York state of mind color palettes, and the tannin mordanted fat quarters are perfect for showing off these rich shades with subtle colorations and unusual hues. We called her workshop “Tannin Grayscale” as a nod to graphic designers who will add a touch of gray to a color in order to create a more vivid hue. However, now that … Read more

Woman's hand with white bracelet holding a handful of indigo chips on a dark blue background of more indigo chips

Organic Indigo from Living Blue

Organic Indigo from Living Blue We are proud to offer a beautiful organic powdered indigo from Living Blue, from one of the great historical indigo-producing centers located in Bangladesh (formerly Bengal). This superior indigo comes to us from an organization called Living Blue. We offer Living Blue’s indigo in 100g and 250g packages. It creates a very rich and dark vat. In addition, the purchase of this product supports farmers and craft workers in Bangladesh. Established in 2008, Living Blue empowers farmers and artisans through the cultivation and use of native Indigofera tinctoria. Living Blue provides seed, land access and … Read more

September 27th, 2025: FALL COLOR SEASONAL DYE WORKSHOP WITH SASHA DUERR

PACIFIC NORTHWEST FALL COLOR SEASONAL DYE WORKSHOP WITH SASHA DUERR Saturday September 27, 2025 from 10-2 plus book signing and shopping In-person at the Botanical Colors Studio 503 S Michigan St Ste B, Seattle WA 98108 Join us for a fall color natural dye workshop exploring the seasonal colors of Seattle with author and textile artist Sasha Duerr. This one day, hands-on session will be offered to savor slow and holistic hues. We’ll learn to “cook with color” with a variety of seasonal plants of the Pacific Northwest, gleaned from locally grown materials, as well as weeds, windfall and waste. … Read more

Liquid Fustic

Liquid Fustic (Maclura tinctoria, also Chlorophora tinctoria) is a preparation of fustic extract. It’s actually the precursor to fustic powder before it is further purified and dried. As a result, the liquid version of fustic is slightly browner and more golden and is rich in tannin. It’s very easy to use and creates a beautiful base for green with indigo, or olive and sage greens with iron. The yellow dye in fustic is maclurin, the same dye molecule that is found in Osage orange. Fustic is native to Central America and was an important yellow dye high in tannins. We … Read more

Ajrak Bandanas in Indigo, Madder and Iron

Ajrak Bandanas in Indigo, Madder and Iron Ajrak is the name for the intricate resist patterning that makes these pieces instantly recognizable as originating in Pakistan and parts of India. We are thrilled to offer these beautiful Ajrak bandanas in classic natural dye colors: indigo blue, madder red, and iron gray. The bandanas are the creation of Handwork Studio, a Toronto-based design group with artisan production connections in Pakistan, Nepal, Haiti, India and Peru. Handwork Studio is committed to design innovation through socially and environmentally sustainable methods. The bandanas are hand-printed and naturally dyed in the historic Sindh Valley, Pakistan … Read more