Blog - Page 10 of 60 - Botanical Colors

MORDANT MONDAY: Will Mordant Affect Indigo Dyeing?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I use aluminum triformate as my mordant for cellulose and silk. I am planning to dye linen with weld and was told that I didn’t need to use a tannin before dyeing if using potassium triformate.If I do need to use a tannin and have already mordanted the linen, do I go back and use tannin and remordant? KATHY ANSWERED: I have concentrated on using a tannin pretreat with aluminum sulfate and haven’t done so as frequently … Read more

Sunday Visit: Exploring Korean Bojagi With Youngmin Lee

For this week’s Sunday Visit, we catch up with Youngmin Lee, a textile artist that uses the bojagi tradition and techniques to create her work. After she moved to California in 1996, she actively worked on preserving the Korean bojagi tradition that embodies the philosophy of recycling and up-cycling. She is currently working closely with the Asian American community on community engaged projects and workshops at the Asian Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Saint Louis Art Museum. Her new book, Bojagi: The Art of Korean Textiles with Techniques and Projects, is coming out in 2024. Obviously, … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Going Grassroots With Tannins

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: I want to create gray on cellulose by using an oak gall tannin followed by an iron modifier; my question is should I rinse the tannin before modifying? KATHY ANSWERED: According to Catharine Ellis, the tannin treatment is not super strongly bonded to the fiber until the alum is added, so … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Using Alum Sulfate For Plant & Protein Fibers?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I’m confused about the different types of aluminum mordants. I want to do some dyeing of fabric (silk, cotton) and also some wool. Do I need to use different aluminum mordants for these different fibers? I was told that I needed aluminum acetate for plant fibers and aluminum sulfate for protein fibers. Is that true? I have alum sulfate and would love to use it for both if that is workable. KATHY ANSWERED: Mordanting provides lots of … Read more

Sunday Visit: California Dreaming with Jody Alexander

For this week’s Sunday Visit, we catch up with California-based mixed media artist Jody Alexander. Jody is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Santa Cruz and Penn Valley, California. She combines textiles, paper, found items and imagery to create books, objects, wall pieces, garments, and installations. Her current work is inspired by the art of repair, reuse, imagery and stories encountered in her travels and everyday. We’re so excited that Jody will also be our LAST Botanical Colors class of this year BUT the first in our new studio space. Yes, we’ll be teaching in real life … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Using Madder Root In An Indigo Fermentation Vat

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! This is the same person asking multiple questions. We thought answering in sequence seemed best. Enjoy! YOU ASKED: I am trying to start up and use an indigo fermentation vat mainly because my materials preference is still silk and the alkalinity of organic vats is too alkaline for silk. I purchased some madder … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Is Soy Binder In The Whole Plant?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: I am growing soybeans to make soy milk to use as a binding agent and am wondering if it’s possible that the entire plant contains the necessary proteins, or if it’s solely in the beans? KATHY ANSWERED: If you do a search on soybean leaves and protein, a lot of information comes up. It appears as if the leaves contain protein but I don’t have the training to translate how much protein and what quality it is … Read more

Sunday Visit: In The Mountains of North Carolina With Catharine Ellis

Thanks for spending some time with us today for this special Sunday Visit with Catharine Ellis. You might know Catharine Ellis as the author of what many call their “natural dye bible” The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results. Co-written with textile engineer and chemist Joy Boutrup, the book is a comprehensive guide that explains the general principles of natural dyeing. We’re excited that she just launched a companion to this in the form of The Studio Formulas Set for The Art and Science of Natural Dyes. Catharine has been a weaver and a natural dyer … Read more

Video For FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Tannin Dyeing With Sari Monroy Solis

Last week we had a special presentation of FEEDBACK FRIDAY, this time with Sari Monroy Solis. Sari is a Mayan Kaqchikel backstrap weaver,natural dyer, and fiber enthusiast. Sari will be zooming in live from Guatemala and will be doing natural dyeing with local coffee fruits and other foraged tannins. She has been practicing tannin dyeing with foraged materials in Coastal California and is excited to share a little about the work she does with her elders in San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Guatemala. Watch the recording below. Sari’s Instagram @theblueweaver What is she excited about right now? “One, sharing my weaving … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Indigo Dark Spots + Hapazome Tips

We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors with your plea for help! YOU ASKED: I have been dyeing with indigo for a number of years and always end up with some inconsistency. I always get some spots that are darker than the whole piece. Similar to what an oil stain on clothing would look like. Any recommendations for solving this problem? Or lightening the dark … Read more