Blog - Page 60 of 65 - Botanical Colors

Today on Makers Row: 5 Things to Know Before Choosing Chemical Dyes

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 but the number of variables to track can be truly overwhelming. One point that is often overlooked in the fashion industry is how fabrics are dyed and treated. In fact, for many designers, there is a fundamental disconnect when sourcing dyed and finished fabrics, even “organic” … Read more

Lookout & Wonderland Takes Willing Participants on a Dye Journey

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, we’re more than proud to say Niki is one of our customers. According to C Social Front, lately “Livingston has been logging more miles in the air than she has traversing the concrete floors of her downtown studio. She’s collaborated with MiH Jeans on an … Read more

This Weekend at Tolt, a Natural Dye Workshop on Gathering Color!

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 with enough naturally dyed yarn for a small project. Skill Level: Beginner. No experience necessary. Students should be able to bend, twist, lift, walk and carry heavy buckets of water, dye pots and wet yarns. Supplies Needed: Students wishing to take home some of … Read more

For Tiina Laakkonen and the Elder Statesman, Blue Is the Warmest Color

“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 too hard in both the light and the life out East.” Now, Laakkonen has teamed up with one of the designers whose work she carries in her store, Greg Chait of the Elder Statesman, to create limited editions of four Elder Statesman styles in her signature … Read more

Gamma Folk’s Lily Piyathaisere on Natural Dyes, Boy Scouts and Brooklyn

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. Influenced by folk art, mysticism, pop culture and the bauhaus, Gamma Folk is a celebration of aesthetics, experiments in technique and the preservation of craft.  ” All pieces are made by hand in Brooklyn, New York. We caught up with her recently to see what got … Read more

Kathrin Von Rechenberg’s Tea Silk a Well-Preserved Gem

“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 Southeast Asian aristocrats, and in China it became an icon of local urban elites. At that time, Shunde, the birthplace of tea silk on the Pearl River Delta, counted more than 500 factories. Unavoidably, the Cultural Revolution saw it as a symbol of capitalism and … Read more

From Printmaking to Indigo Vats, Artist Aleksander Wozniak Explores Color

Aleksander Wozniak is a Poland-based artist, printmaker, and teacher at the University of Warmia and Mazury in the city of Olsztyn. He is also the head of an academic printmaking studio, where he teaches planographic printing techniques (stone lithography, aluminium lithography). Though focused on traditional and experimental printmaking, “as a unique source of inspiration and integral element of creative and pedagogic attitude,” Aleksander is also a lover of color and recently tried out our “Easy, Organic Indigo Vat.” Check out his results! Images: Aleksander Wozniak

L.A.’s Rule of Three: Embracing Natural Color, Pattern and Surface

“Los Angeles-based designer and Rule of Three founder Paige Cleveland has over a decade of experience in the graphic and fashion design industries. With an ardor for textiles, and the unexpected way color and pattern interact when combined, the seed was planted very early on. After traveling the globe and endless amounts of research on traditional textiles and ancient printmaking techniques, the direction for the line became clear.” “The focus turned to dyes of historical importance and a color palette made from nature, dyeing techniques like Shibori and printmaking using Suminagashi, the Japanese art of marbling. Stripping the design process … Read more

‘Rebirthing’ Clothing Through Upcycling & Natural Dyeing to Reduce Carbon

Author Bronte Hogarth pens a story for 1 Million Women on natural dyeing and giving old clothing a new look. We agree with her 100%! Did you know that by “rebirthing clothes through upcycling, you could save an estimated CO2 Saving of 12kg per month (120kg per year), just by extending the life of your clothing?” Neither did we. Now it makes us want to get some vats going immediately and get others addicted to natural dyeing! Read the full story here on 1 Million Women. Image: 1 Million Women

Natural Dye Class at Tolt Yarn and Wool

From Carnation,Washington based Tolt Yarn and Wool’s newsletter you should sign up for! “Two amazing instructors and three engaging opportunities to learn the art of yarn and fiber dyeing are coming up in August! Kathy Hattori is offering two separate workshops which will take place at Jubilee Farm in Carnation! First up is GATHERING COLOR on Saturday, August 23 from 10am to 4pm. 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 … Read more