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

Your Go-To Denim Jeans Love Indigo

This series on Denimhunters by Thomas Stege Bojer is really good and if you’ve ever wondered how your go-to denim jeans are made, this is place to go. Of course we love part three on indigo dyeing and all the complexities of natural vs. synthetic when it comes to scaling production. Bojer writes: “Indigo is the blue in blue jeans. The dyestuff has been popular around the world for several millennia. It’s been the colour of royals, which made it desirable for the proletariat. It’s one of the most colorfast natural dyes. And it remains beautiful as it fades to … Read more

Indigo Shibori Kit

This Indigo DIY Dye Project Will Spice Up Any Holiday Table

Image: Kate Miss for Bust Magazine Bust Magazine writes: “The fabric-dye trend is everywhere right now; people are going crazy for tie-dyeing, immersion dyeing, natural dyeing, and of course, shibori. The last one is often mistaken as tie-dye, but it’s actually in a category of its own. Shibori is a Japanese method in which fabric is made into a three-dimensional form via binding, folding, twisting, stitching, plucking, and plaiting; then it’s dipped into indigo dye. You can use any piece of fabric with this technique, but we’ll show you how to create your own shibori table runner and napkins.” Read … Read more

VIDEO: An Exploration of Place and Natural Dyes, Cordova Alaska

VIDEO: An Exploration of Place and Natural Dyes, Cordova Alaska Paul Gaugin was once quoted as saying “Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams.” It’s true. Those who stop to marvel at the color all around them easily see the mysteries- looking deeply into the crashing roll of a wave, the veins on a leaf, the back of a beetle tooling slowly across the yard…nature is always busy showing off. As a sustainable fashion writer and lover of natural dyes (thanks in big part to Botanical Colors), I too am in awe of how natural dyes … Read more

VIDEO: A Dyeing Life

The New York Times writes about Han Shan, who “disillusioned with China’s urban dream” as a young man set off on a 15-year walk and rediscovered his family’s ethnic Miao traditions. So touching. To get your own blue hands and to discover the wonders of turning cloth a new hue of indigo, go here.

8 Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Colors and Dyes

We get asked so many questions about natural dyes that we put together 8 of our most frequently asked questions! What are natural dyes? Natural dyes are textile colorants that are derived from plants, insects and other natural materials. They are steeped in history, mystery and lore and each culture has its own set of prized colors, traditions and meanings. Prior to the mid-19th century, all dyes were from the natural world. Blue came from indigo, yellow from a variety of plants, including fustic, mignonette and dyers’ greenwood, red from madder roots and cochineal insects, purple from logwood and brown … Read more

Earth Day With Green Eileen!

We had a blast with the Green Eileen team on Earth Day at the Green Eileen shop in Seattle. The store hosted a cocktail party and featured gently worn EILEEN FISHER clothing for sale overdyed with Botanical Colors dyes. Indigo, pomegranate and madder were just a few of the colors used. Check out the party pictures below!  

JaponTex Holiday Event – Free!

Join us Saturday December 4 at JaponTex at the historic La Conner Civic Garden Club in La Conner Washington.  JaponTex is a free event for all things Japanese and features textile artists Patricia Belyea, Mary Pettus and Sylvia Pippen.  The artists will be showing their holiday gift items and Botanical Colors will make an indigo vat for dipping for you to get your Mood Indigo on for the holidays. The event runs Friday through Sunday.  We’ll be there Saturday from 11-4.  

Blue Alchemy, a Documentary on Indigo’s Rich History

According to the BLUE ALCHEMY: Stories of Indigo site, the documentary is a feature-length documentary about indigo, “a blue
 dye that has captured the human imagination for millennia. It is also about people who are reviving indigo in projects that are intended to improve life in their communities, preserve cultural integrity, improve the environment, and bring beauty to the world.” Mary Lance filmed BLUE ALCHEMY  in India, Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, El Salvador, Nigeria, and the USA. Have you seen it? Thoughts? BLUE ALCHEMY: Stories of Indigo Trailer from Mary Lance on Vimeo.