Dokoppi Japanese dye
Dokkopi (Sawtooth oak bark and acorn caps) Quercus acutissima Dokkopi is a tannin-rich dye made from sawtooth oak bark and acorn caps. This oak tree is closely related to the Turkey oak and is sometimes called the Japanese Silkworm Oak as it is the host plant for the Japanese oak silkworm. Like many tannin dyes, dokkoppi is a warm brown when dyed alone but will also make a rich dark shade when it is dyed with iron. Dokkopi may be used until no color is left to extract from them, or they are a soft neutral color for bundle dyeing. … Read more
Yomogi (Mugwort) Japanese Dye
Japanese Mugwort (Yomogi also called Artemesia) Mugwort or Yomogi is prized as a medicinal tea and herb and is considered a spring tonic green after a long winter. It is also a foodstuff and eaten in both sweet and savory dishes. Yomogi gives a soft yellowish green on silk. The dyestuff can be extracted multiple times. Use at 300% wof.
Ukon (Turmeric Chips) Japanese dye
Ukon (Turmeric Root Chips) Curcuma longa Turmeric is long regarded as a spice, prized medicine and ceremonial dye in many SE and Asian cultures. Turmeric is the rhizome (knobby root) of Curcuma longa, a tropical perennial that is part of the ginger family. It is one of the oldest cultivated spices in the SE Asian palette, and has been grown in Japan and Okinawa for centuries. It’s called Ukon in Japanese and it makes a vibrant bright yellow that is somewhat fragile against light-fastness and pH changes. Still, we love the way it combines with other colors in the Japanese … Read more
Annatto Seed Powder (Bixa orellana)
Annatto Seed Powder (Bixa orellana) is a waxy, tropical seed that is used as a spice, medicine and a food and textile dye. It’s also called achiote, roucou and lipstick tree. Annatto is a shrub native to tropical Central and Amazonia South America and is now grown throughout the world. Annatto is soluble in both water and oil, and it is widely used as a colorant for cosmetics and foods, such as Velveeta processed cheese, Cheetos and Goldfish crackers. Hmmm. As a spice, it is commonly used in Central and Latin American cooking, as well as in other regions that … Read more
Online Workshop Recording: The Indigo Henna Vat with Shibori Techniques
Recording: The Indigo Henna Vat with Shibori Techniques Video recording of the workshop taught by Kathy Hattori Indigo is the fabled blue of legend, history and culture and has fascinated artists and scholars for centuries. Indigo is the most popular dye that we carry and there are different ways to make an indigo vat for dipping. One of our favorites is the 1-2-3 Henna vat, where henna, this unique natural dye and body tattoo (mehndi) paint plays an integral part of an indigo vat, yielding beautiful results. Join me as I instruct you how to create the henna vat in … Read more
Online Workshop Recording: Gravity Ice Dyeing with Cara Marie Piazza
Join Cara Marie Piazza for a fresh new spin on Ice Dyeing… ICE DYEING GRAVITY EDITION. THIS IS AN ONLINE RECORDING As the blustery winter trudges on, use your chilly surroundings to help make this fun new surface design technique. This class is approximately 1.5 hours long on zoom. In this class, Cara demonstrates a NEW Ice Dyeing Technique called gravity dyeing. She will show you how to get this arctic dripping pattern on a T-shirt, a yard of silk charmeuse and one of our mordanted cotton bandannas. She will also show you how to trap exhausted dye baths in … Read more
Contemporary Patchwork: Techniques in Colour, Surface Design & Sewing
Contemporary Patchwork: Techniques in Colour, Surface Design & Sewing Enter the colorful world of contemporary patchwork Dive into contemporary patchwork with fresh surface design techniques and beautiful projects from Arounna Khounnoraj, co-owner of Bookhou and well-known textile artist. Arounna’s approach to patchwork, quilting, and appliqué stands out from traditional methods, making this book an incredible resource for building a foundation in textile design and expanding into unique improvisational patchwork. Get inspired by your environment and learn elements of color theory before jumping into several fabric surface design techniques. Then, master the art of decorating with stitches as you explore various … Read more
Mordanted Silk Hankies
Grab yourself a bundle of 4 lightweight, mordanted silk hankies for spontaneous dye sessions or color studies. The wonderful thing about these hankies is they are perfect for color tests and experiments as all you need to do is dampen them and add them to the dye pot. If you’re an eco-printer, they roll up nice and snug and really take the color. The bundle consists of 4-100% China silk hankies (approx. 11×11″, 8 momme) that we mordanted with aluminum potassium sulfate. Lightweight and very receptive to natural dyes, take a look at what we created with lac extract. I … Read more
Mordanted Cotton Bandana 6-Pack
Our mordanted cotton bandana 6-pack is a bundle of fun! There is something so liberating about having a few mordanted pieces on hand and ready for the latest creative impulse. Pick up a pack of our mordanted cotton bandanas, also super useful as table napkins or project squares. Now you can eco-print your latest forage or find, or throw a few bandanas in the dye pot to use as dinner napkins. Dye some up for creative playtime or dye a bandana wardrobe. They’re lightweight and easy to pack for your next natural dye travel adventure. Bandanas become a wonderful way … Read more