Cara Piazza, Author at Botanical Colors

The Beginner Dye Kit: Fustic Greens

Fun Facts about the Fustic in our Botanical Colors’ Beginner Dye Kit: Fustic (Chlorophora tinctoria or Maclura tinctoria) is a tall tropical hardwood that grows from Mexico to Argentina. Fustic is high in tannic acid, which makes it an ideal cotton dye. In fact, it was used in the military to dye the color khaki during World War I. On cotton, it will dye a clear gold and on silk and wool it will dye gold to brown-gold. Fustic also provides a good base for other colors: indigo overdyed with fustic creates a khaki green; combined with madder and cochineal to make oranges; and mixed with … Read more

A hand holding damp fabric that has been dyed black

The Beginner Dye Kit: Black

Use your gallo tannin + iron to get some deep & dark shades of black! You can substitute the gallo tannin with other tannins in the future and dark extracts to make a variety of dark hues. Want to know how to make your very own signature black natural dye? Here’s a really good black recipe from Kathy to send you into tannin and iron experiments all day…or maybe, for the rest of your life. Black with gallo tannin, iron and logwood is a historical recipe from Europe and creates a warm black. Prior to the introduction of logwood to Europe, black was achieved through multiple baths of tannin … Read more

The Beginner Dye Kit: Setting up your studio & safety

SAFETY We offer common sense safety advice for the new natural dyer. The materials are derived from natural sources and are considered non-toxic but powders can be irritating so a few simple rules are part of a good dye practice. NOTE: The one ingredient we want you to pay special attention to is Iron powder (ferrous sulfate). Keep away from young children and pets. It is the same ingredient that is found in iron pills for anemia and it is not safe for small bodies. Please read the safety and use information about ferrous sulfate below prior to use. When … Read more

Marigold Mix Extract + 3 Color Combinations

We are especially pleased at how well our marigold mix dyes cellulose fibers. So it’s a great way to create that sunny yellow on cotton and linen. You can also use this extract to dye silk and protein fibers and create beautiful color combinations with the percentages below. MATERIALS CLICK HERE for our post on setting up your dye studio. PROCEDURE COLOR COMBINATIONS Here’s a palette with natural dye recipes suitable for that end of summer transition where the light turns golden and the air cools. The Orange Red reminds us of the underside of a liquid amber leaf; the Bright … Read more

The Beginner Dye Kit: Deep Red

These instructions are for wool or silk. This color is trickier to achieve on cotton or linen. If available, use filtered, distilled or reverse osmosis water for the dye bath. MATERIALS CLICK HERE for our post on setting up your dye studio. PROCEDURE Different Shades For rich reds with an orange base, omit the calcium carbonate in the dye bath. How can I get a different red? Madder and cochineal are the 2 historic reds that react differently when mixed with a mild acid such as cream of tartar. Madder loses its red shade and shifts to orange, and cochineal moves from a magenta … Read more

multicolored dyed eggs in a green ceramic bowl

Dye Easter Eggs With Natural Dyes

Everyone from kids to adults love to get their hands messy when they dye Easter eggs with natural dyes. This is a fun tutorial for adults and kiddos (parents help, please) to make a little Easter magic. First things first, let’s talk about health & safety: We always recommend working in a very well ventilated area. Although natural dyes are non-toxic, when using fine powders it’s best to wear a mask, and keep the windows open. Be mindful around little ones and pets as you don’t want anything going in mouths that shouldn’t be there. Also, when beginning to set … Read more

The Beginner Dye Kit: Liquid Logwood

25 grams of our liquid logwood will dye approximately 250 grams of fiber to a dark purple shade! Logwood by itself is not particularly lightfast, so keep from bright sunlight. Its lightfastness increases and the color darkens to a near black with added iron. In addition, if your water is neutral or acidic, a little soda ash in the dye bath will enrich the purple tone on wool and silk fibers. MATERIALS CLICK HERE for our post on setting up your dye studio. PROCEDURE WASH CARE It is always best to use pH neutral soaps for your natural dyes. This means ecological brands that … Read more