Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Kenya Miles + Blue Light Junction

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Kenya Miles and her Blue Light Junction Studio. Blue Light Junction is a natural dye studio, alternative color lab, retail space, dye garden and educational facility in central Baltimore. Kenya is also artist in residence for the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative at MICA and Parks & People, an initiative to grow and process natural dyes in Baltimore city. This was part 3 in a 3-part series featuring the Natural Dye Initiative at MICA. Watch the recording here: PLEASE support Kenya’s Blue Light Junction Buildout on GoFundMe here. Catch part … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Catharine Ellis

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Catharine Ellis. She even answered all your chat questions we didn’t get to (below!) Watch the recording here: You might know Catharine as the author of what many call their natural dye bible, The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results. Co-written with textile engineer and chemist Joy Boutrup, the book is a comprehensive guide that explains the general principles of natural dyeing to help dyers become more accomplished at their craft. She also has a fantastic blog that features all her experiments that’s a must … Read more

Video from LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Kathy Hattori Natural Dye Q&A

Check out our most recent live Zoom FEEDBACK FRIDAY with Botanical Colors’ Founder Kathy Hattori. Kathy answered about 25-30 questions on all subjects. You’re going to learn a lot. Watch the recording here: Kathy’s books she mentioned on the video: Lichens For Vegetable Dyeing, Eileen M. Bolton Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book, Karen Casselman Miriam Rice Mushroom Dye Books & Videos Alissa Allen, Founder of Mycopigments And that bucket heater for indigo! NEXT WEEK for Juneteenth on June 19th at noon… The Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative returns for part 2 of a 3-part series with Kibibi Ajanku. Kibibi Ajanku … Read more

Video from LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Aboubakar Fofana

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Aboubakar Fofana. We got to take a walk through Aboubakar’s art and life’s work through a visually stunning slideshow as well as a mini-film featuring his farm in Mali, West Africa. We’ve never had more emails thanking us for giving access to such an inspiring human, and presentation as well as how honored they felt to be part. Thank you again Aboubakar. WATCH THE RECORDING HERE: Below is the introduction from today we didn’t have in the recording (because we almost forgot to record!) Many have asked how to … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Sasha Duerr Talks Plant Dyeing

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Sasha Duerr and her tips on place-based dyeing. Watch the video here: Sasha taught us how to look at place as a treasure trove of color. She also gave some great tips on how to accept color no matter how long it lasts. If you didn’t grab her new book yet, go here to grab a copy. You might also like her 5 Seasonal Color Wheels derived from local plant and food sources throughout the year. A couple of things to share with you from Sasha… The Seaweed Research … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Fashion Revolution + Katrina Rodabaugh

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Fashion Revolution Co-Founder Orsola de Castro and mending/natural dyeing author and artist Katrina Rodabaugh. Katrina Rodabaugh gave inspiring insight into some easy mending techniques, ways we can rethink our clothing and how natural dyes have been a big part of her Make, Thrift, Mend project. This week fell right on Fashion Revolution Day, the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1138 people and injured many more on 24th April 2013. During this week, brands and producers are encouraged to respond with the hashtag #imadeyourclothes and to … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Natural Dye Inks With Biohue

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY exploring natural dye inks with Judi Pettite of Biohue. Watch the recording here: This time around we got Judi Pettite, the founder of Biohue to answer questions and talk about how she forages, purchases and grows all the materials for her art as mindfully as possible. BioHue dye inks was founded  in 2006 after Judi fell in love with colors she was getting from plants. Her inks and watercolors are made intentionally from the fewest ingredients possible and can be used in a number of applications including painting, drawing and home … Read more

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: The 1-2-3 Indigo Vat Using Iron

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY exploring a version of the famous 1-2-3 indigo vat using iron. Watch the recording here: This time around we explored a version of the famous 1-2-3 indigo vat using iron (ferrous sulfate) as our reducing agent. This is a useful vat for achieving darker shades, but comes with a few caveats. We reviewed how to make the vat using the 1-2-3 method (the proportions are a little different than the fructose vat), and what to do when your vat turns purple (really). We also reviewed safety and best practices. Botanical Colors’ … Read more

Feedback Friday

FEEDBACK FRIDAY Goes Live March 27th

Join us this week, March 27th, 9am Pacific,  for a live FEEDBACK FRIDAY! Let’s social distance ourselves from the realities of what’s outside our homes and talk all things natural dyes. What could be better? If you are not familiar with FEEDBACK FRIDAY, every week, we are emailed with questions from our natural dye community. Weekly, all of  your burning questions are answered by natural dyer in chief, Kathy Hattori, Founder of Botanical Colors. Both Kathy and Amy DuFault, Botanical Colors’ Sustainability and Social Media Director will be on hand to moderate and answer questions this week. Hopefully, the two … Read more