Indigo Archives - Page 10 of 13

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: 1. When scouring fabrics, is it ok to use a washing machine (hot water setting) if the fabric is too large (approximately 1 yard) for the stockpot or does it always need to be simmered in the pot on the stove? Will you see a difference in terms of cleanness of the fabric? Cleaning the fabric prior … Read more

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: What type of tool or method do you suggest to use in order to prevent my fabric from touching the sediment at the bottom of my organic indigo vat if I’m doing a long dip (let’s say more than 5 min)? Placing a large strainer or colander at the bottom of the bucket is the best way? … Read more

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: I am fascinated with natural dyes and eager to start learning but the problem is that I don’t know where to even start. Do you have any advice on how to get started, is there a book you could recommend, or anything like that? I want to eventually do a studio day class with you, but would … Read more

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: I have been printing with dye extracts on silk. My question is- once the fabric is mordanted, dunged, dyed, and steamed, can I over-dye the fabric without going through the mordant process again? You don’t need to remordant for additional overdyeing. If it’s been a long time between the initial dyeing and overdyeing, (like several years), then … Read more

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: I’m having trouble getting alum to dissolve. Even at 10% the solution was cloudy. This time I tried making a paste with boiling water but it still feels pretty crunchy. I’m amazed at how much pigment washes away. Using acid dyes I am used to seeing very little to no pigment in my wash water. I’m doing … Read more

FEEDBACK FRIDAY: This Week in Natural Dye Questions

Colorant’s Sonia Tay Gets Natural Dye Inspiration in Marrakesh

Sonia Tay, the designer behind Colorant traveled to Morocco last April which inspired her current collection dyed with natural dyes that Botanical Colors was proud to be part of. Each of her collections is manufactured and dyed here in the U.S. Tay is an American fashion designer, a native New Yorker who graduated from Parsons School of Design and studied at Parsons Paris in the interim where she furthered her studies of Art History and Costume Design. It was here she was able to focus on her love of fabrics and color history, traveling through Europe, stopping in fashion capitals … Read more

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: My indigo stock solution isn’t changing color? What should I do? If you have an indigo flower and metallic scum and you have done all the above steps and it’s still stubbornly dark, opaque blue, add 1 spoonful of calcium hydroxide, and 1 spoonful of fructose or henna, stir carefully and watch for reduction. Gently heating the … Read more

EILEEN FISHER & Botanical Colors Launch Botanical Collection

We are so excited to announce our Botanicals Collection with EILEEN FISHER! Check out our indigo, madder root, and ground pomegranate peel on EILEEN FISHER’s organic handkerchief linen here. “Embracing natural dyes means embracing nature-from its unique colorations to all its perfect imperfections. It’s really thrilling to see EILEEN FISHER surge ahead with a beautiful and natural dye offering and to have involved us in this project. We are honored,” says Kathy Hattori, founder of Botanical Colors. As part of EILEEN FISHER’s rigorous Vision 2020, the company is taking on toxic dyes, human rights as well as sustainability in an … Read more

Some of the Best Quilting Cotton Was Hand-Dyed in Japan Thirty Years Ago

Okan Arts imports vintage Japanese yukata cottons for adventuresome quilters. Okan Arts, owned by textile and natural dye artist Patricia Belyea, is a home-based shop in Seattle, bursting with over 1,000 bolts of vintage Japanese cotton. Hand-dyed by artisans in Japan from 20 to 50 years ago, the cottons radiate luscious colors and a graphic boldness. Simple cousins to the gold-enhanced reproductions of kimono silks typically found in quilt shops, these yukata cottons were made for casual unlined summer kimonos. “The summers are hot in humid in Japan so breezy, light kimonos made of cotton are perfect. Silk kimonos are … Read more