Blog - Page 7 of 60 - Botanical Colors

Easy How-To Make A Lake Pigment

Lots of you have asked us for a how-to on making lake pigments. We thought we’d skip an amateur tutorial from us and go straight to the pro… Lake pigment queen Natalie Stopka! If you don’t know Natalie, she’s an artist and educator who works in collaboration with the materials and forces of the natural world. Her drawings and prints incorporate plant dyes and historical pigments, which provide a seasonally evolving vocabulary of texture and color. We’ve been pretty obsessed with her work since the day we met her. For more information on lake pigments – their myriad hues, chemistry, … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Canning Dyes

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: Today I picked the last of the Goldenrod from our pasture and am wondering if it is possible to make an extract from the dye? I am familiar with lake pigments but understand that is not the same thing as an extract and I won’t be able use it for dyeing … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Whey As A Mordant?

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 started reading India Flint’s book Eco Colour. She mentioned that whey could be used as a mordant but didn’t say how. I do make cheese on occasion and am always looking for something to do with the whey. Have you ever used it? If so, how? KATHY ANSWERED: Whey is usually acidic and contains protein and minerals. It might be considered one of those ingredients that helps dye molecules attract to fibers, like casein (milk protein), … Read more

Sunday Visit: Mystical Stitching With Christi Johnson

Every Sunday, Botanical Colors sits down for an interview with a luminary in the natural dye and textile world. This week on Sunday Visit we welcome textile artist and author Christi Johnson. Christi’s textile studio is based in the foothills of the Catskills in New York. The studio provides functional pieces that are thoughtfully made, as well as serves as a platform to teach skills in sewing, embroidery, and natural dyeing . Her book Mystical Stitches explores embroidery as a tool for personal empowerment and magical embellishment. Speaking of magical things, you can grab a copy of Mystical Stitches plus … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Does Ceriops Oxidize?

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: For instructions on your ceriops page, it says to “dip the cloth into the ceriops vat for 5 minutes. Lift the cloth from the vat and hang (either above the dye vat or over a collecting pan so that the dye can be returned to the dye vat) until dripping stops. … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Aluminum Sulfate For Cellulose?

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 realized I purchased aluminum sulfate instead of potassium aluminum sulfate. I am mostly looking to dye cellulose fabric yardage. Will aluminum sulfate work as a mordant for cellulose fibers? KATHY ANSWERED: Yes, it will work: aluminum sulfate and aluminum potassium sulfate are largely interchangeable. It used to be that aluminum sulfate could contain traces of iron, which would shift colors, but most modern day aluminum sulfate is pretty “clean” – at least I haven’t had an … Read more

Sunday Visit: Oregon Flower Farming With Vibrant Valley Farm

Today’s Sunday Visit is with our dear friend Kara Marie Gilbert over at Vibrant Valley Farm. Vibrant Valley Farm is a group of dedicated farmers committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food, floral and fiber systems. Vibrant Valley Farm is also the muscle behind the marigolds we sell on Botanical Colors! Located on Sauvie Island, just outside of Portland, Oregon, Vibrant Valley Farm has been committed to exploring innovative solutions to enliven the current food system, both locally and globally. As part of that local and sustainably grown angle, they never use pesticides or herbicides. Kara says, … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Babs Behan

This week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we had natural dyer and specialist of non-toxic natural dyeing techniques and bio-regional, regenerative textile systems, Babs Behan. Babs is the author of one of the newest books in our book store, Botanical Dyes: Plant To Print Dyes, Techniques & Projects. She is also Founder of Botanical Inks , a non-toxic natural dye studio and the Bristol Cloth Project. Watch the recording below. Shop Babs’ book here. Website Instagram Babs tells us she is committed to the transformation of our textile industry and the possibility of global environmental and cultural regeneration. Inspired by her own … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: What’s The Indigo Setup?

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’m trying to set up my indigo vat finally (I purchased materials from your store months back). My only confusion is whether or not I need to purchase a stainless pot to do the initial 180-190 degree temperature rise? I don’t have one, and have a 5 gallon bucket I was … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Mordanted Pieces Resist Wetting Out

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 love the fact that aluminum triformate works with cold water. When I let mordanted pieces dry until I’m ready to use them, I have a hard time wetting them out before submerging them in a natural dye bath. Do you have an explanation or any tips? KATHY ANSWERED: I’ve noticed that alum mordanted fibers and fabrics can sometimes resist rewetting, especially in cold water. I’ve had skeins that I put in a water bath to rehydrate … Read more