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Explore the Botanical Colors blog for natural dye recipes, mordanting guidance, indigo techniques, expert answers, workshops and sustainable textile stories.
What is Fugitive Color for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I often hear about “fugitive color.” Can you tell me why some colors like turmeric can latch onto fabric and why others like beets can’t? The terms “fast” and “fugitive” (not Fast and Furious) refer to how durable a natural color is to light, heat, and washing. “Fast” means that the color is durable and its strength … Read more
Water Quality Questions for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Water Quality and Natural Dyes Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I’ve always used my tap water to dye but have just started using rain barrels to collect water I will use for dyeing-can you tell me what differences you have found in using different types of water? Water is a significant factor in natural dye results. Water that is highly mineralized with … Read more
First Time Indigo Grower Question for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I am really new to dyeing–is the material to be dyed mordanted first, then dyed? When I developed film/printed photos, you always “fixed” at the end to keep it from continuing to develop. Please help; I’m trying to understand and visualize the process. Many thanks! The procedure that I prefer to use is: Scour or clean the … Read more
Mordant for my Dye Garden for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: Is there any way to remove iron from fabric to brighten it up? Iron is a reliably “permanent” mordant, which is why it is used to enhance light and “washfastness” with dyes that are weak in these categories. I have not seen a reversible method for removing iron. I keep getting mixed answers from people about dyeing … Read more
FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I’m an indigo dyer using an iron vat. I keep getting the lime/iron residue grains adhering to my fabric when I pull it out of the vat and it either creates spots like this (attached) or just makes a piece look inconsistent. Do you guys have any tips and/or forums you could point me to? The iron … Read more
Purple from Tannin and Iron for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I just started natural dyeing and am wondering if you could suggest any books that might best guide me as a beginner? Check out this list! I just tried to dye some upcycled white t-shirts for an Alabama Chanin project and had a major failure. I used tannin extract and iron powder. I was going for charcoal … Read more
Resist Dyeing with Indigo for FEEDBACK FRIDAY
Each week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community asking simple and complex questions that we thought might be worth sharing. Here are a handful from this week answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors: I would like to be able to make variegated yarn from a finished skein (as opposed to spinning my yarn from various colored fibers, which is what I do now). I’ve done most of my dyeing on wool that I spin and then weave, but would like to dye cotton and hemp fabric. I am not able … Read more