Amy DuFault

Design Milk writers from Pinch Food Design Bob Spiegel and TJ Girard recently had a great post on natural dyes made from edibles that we were swooning over. They write: “Food as a medium is not a new concept, but a revisited one. Many trades, especially textile designers are finding crossover with food while developing […]

Labor Day is the traditional date for the 2014 Men’s Fall KNitting Retreat and this year, Labor Day long weekend is Thursday, August 28th – Sunday, August 31, 2014. This retreat marks the event’s  SIXTH YEAR at Dumas Bay Center in Federal Way, WA (Near Seattle) and Botanical Colors is proud to once again be part! Find […]

This past Saturday I taught a natural dye workshop in the backyard of my friend’s Cyd and Neal’s vintage store – The Grand Street Bakery. A vintage store set in a converted old bakery, fully equipped with awesome vintage threads hanging on repurposed baking racks, stocked with natural apothecary, magazines and generally some of the […]

We are so excited to have our first post on the Makers Row blog. Talk about a bevy of really important industry information! Thanks to Makers Row for the opportunity to write. Botanical Colors founder Kathy Hattori writes: “Sustainable design often means a concerted effort to really dig into the details of one’s supply chain […]

Lookout & Wonderland is an L.A. based fiber art project with Niki Livingston at the helm, with a concentrated focus on the exploration of the applied arts. The mission is to create a range of multi-use textiles that allow the viewer to become an active participant in the form and function of the artwork. And, […]

This class teaches the basics of dyeing with traditional raw, natural dyestuffs from ancient times, including madder roots, cochineal, walnut and osage sawdust. Students will also receive a handout with information about common local dye plants plus recipes and procedures for naturally dyeing at home. All yarn will be provided and students will leave class […]

“As anyone familiar with her styling work, her Amagansett, N.Y., boutique, Tiina, or her nearby home already knows, Tiina Laakkonen really, really loves indigo. “Blue is my favorite color and indigo is the most natural, alive version of it,” she says. “I used to live in black clothes when I lived in New York, but they seem […]

“Last Monday was a very special day. Bryan [Whitehead] showed us the way to meet one of Japan’s indigo masters, Noguchi san. It is there, at his workshop in Hachioji, were  he has been creating textiles all his life.  Apparently his studio hasn’t changed much over the years, they moved in after the big Kantō earthquake […]

We always love seeing how Botanical Colors can be applied to so many different mediums through the hands of talented artists. Brooklyn-based Lily Piyathaisere of Gamma Folk is new to our natural dye family and we are pretty crazy about her jewelry. Lily says her vision is to “combine traditional techniques with thoughtful, statement jewelry. […]

“Tea silk considered one of the most well-preserved gems in Chinese silk craftsmanship. Originating from the Ming Dynasty, this fabric was once considered the most luxurious silk. The ’30s became the gilded age for xiangyunsha (the Chinese name for tea silk, also called langchou)—more expensive than gold, it was among the most desired goods by […]