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: Do you have any tips on getting a crimson red on cotton from cochineal? Been trying so many different ways and can’t get the concentration to stay! The majority of the historical recipes for very deep and bright red on cotton use madder, not cochineal.  Your best bet if you want the deepest shade on cotton is … Read more

NEW CLASS! Colors of the Prairie at Scattergood Friends School

Our 2 day class Colors of the Prairie at Scattergood Friends School, a Quaker boarding school in West Branch, Iowa on June 27 and 28 is coming up! Scattergood is about 3.5 hours outside of Chicago, 1.5 hours from Des Moines and 15 minutes from Iowa City. Using low water and sustainable methods, we will be roaming Scattergood’s restored prairie and farm in search of interesting dye materials to create pieces that evoke a time and place. An organic indigo vat will add layers and complexity to our pieces. Lodging and meals are available for a song – $50 in addition … Read more