Botanical Colors Archives - Page 9 of 40

Sunday Visit With Artist & Educator Natalie Stopka

This week for Sunday Visit, we caught up with artist and educator Natalie Stopka (the mad scientist of lake pigments), in her upstate New York studio. In said studio, there are jars and vials of unusual color and tools for making extraordinary art. Natalie is pretty darn clear that these jars aren’t for show. They’re not time capsules of color. They’re 100% for making art and pushing what color and pigment can do. And after following her for years, we also love the dichotomy that is Natalie Stopka. That she loves lightfastness and fading. That she can talk about synthetic … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Takayuki & Tomo Ishii of Awonoyoh

Last week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we had a special treat with Takayuki and Tomo Ishii of Awonoyoh. The two are just wrapping up their time in Seattle as Botanical Colors’ artists-in-residence. Taka is a renowned indigo dye artisan and Tomo is a designer and expert in Japanese clothing. The two own a workshop in the mountainous area of Kanagawa Prefecture and they grow and process their own indigo to make traditional indigo fermentation vats. The two also run an indigo dyeing company using traditional techniques and materials. Watch the video recording here. Takayuki and Tomo will talk about the tradition … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Reusing a Liquid Logwood Dye Bath

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 am learning to use dye blankets in my botanical prints. I want to make a logwood pot that would be used multiple times. Here are my varied questions: Thanks for your time. LOVE your website and helpful info, to say nothing of the Beginners Dye Kit. Taking the cold water … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Cloudy Mordant & Eco Printing Fabric

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 think I purchased the wrong mordant, according to the chart on your website. I have a cotton tea towel and I purchased aluminum potassium sulfate. I plan on eco printing some flowers on it, do I need to purchase a different mordant? Also, this is my first time! KATHY ANSWERED: You can also use aluminum potassium sulfate on cellulose fibers for eco printing. The best technique is to try to traditional tannin-alum mordant which uses aluminum … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Natalie Stopka + Tilke Elkins

Last week we had a FEEDBACK FRIDAY alumni discussion with Natalie Stopka and Tilke Elkins! The two returned to FEEDBACK FRIDAY to have a conversation on ruderal plant color, orphaned materials and forging relationships through materiality at the margins. The two discussed unwanted, discarded, or simply forgotten things and following intuition as a practice of emergent design. If you’ve never been to a FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring two former presenters in discussion you’re in for a treat. Watch the recording below. Check out these three previous matchups: Preserving history with Narayan Khandekar + Porfirio Gutíerrez Mapping Color With Sasha Duerr + Maibe … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Fixatives & Funky Water

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 used your cold water Aluminum Triformate mordant. I dissolved it in cold water and poured it into the cold water tub. It was really cloudy when I added the fabric. Now the mordant has settled on the bottom of the pot. Is that right? If not, is there a way to rectify it. KATHY ANSWERED: If there are a few grains of mordant at the bottom, it’s not a problem. If there’s a layer of mordant, … Read more

You Asked, Kathy Answered: Let’s Talk Indigo

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. YOU ASKED: I started my indigo journey 🙂 and have a question. I tried looking through the blog first but couldn’t find this similar issue I’m having. I have an indigo 1-2-3 iron vat. My vat seems in okay condition — After stirring and letting the sediment settle, the color is light yellow/amber but when I dip my fabrics, they … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Does Alum Acetate Have a Shelf Life?

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 have some alumimum acetate mordant that is 18 months old. It is kept in a plastic container inside a freezer plastic bag. I heard it has a short life. How do I know when it is not worth using? KATHY ANSWERED: I have also heard that aluminum acetate has a short shelf life but I asked our supplier and they were unaware of this issue and have never provided us with a “best by” usage date. … Read more

Video From FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Fibershed Ireland Takes on Linen + Woad

Last week on FEEDBACK FRIDAY we took an inspiring textile and color journey with Fibershed Ireland! We travelled to the island of Ireland and met Mario Sierra from Mourne Textiles. Mario is bringing a spinning mill at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland back to life. Despite having a rich history of linen production from soil to textile, in the last 30 years the linen industry has pretty much left Ireland, save a handful of weavers and finishers. Mario intends to change that at Mourne Textiles. We also met Jennifer Lienhard of AppleOak FibreWorks who talked about her … Read more

MORDANT MONDAY: Post-Mordant Scouring?

We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected] YOU ASKED: Can you store and then reuse symplocos mordant, the way you can alum mordants? If it can be stored, do you need refrigerate it or add cloves to keep it from going off, as you must with plant based dyes? KATHY ANSWERED: Symplocos baths may be reused several times but it does contain plant matter and will probably start to ferment if left for long periods of time, like over 2 weeks in a warm environment. You … Read more