Botanical Colors a Featured Voice on Fashion Traceability

Botanical Colors founder Kathy Hattori was recently interviewed by the New York City based apparel production and ethical design facility, Brooklyn Fashion+Design Accelerator on natural dyes and color in the fashion industry. BF+DA writer Kelly Drennan writes: “Taking transparency to the next level is traceability – a system that provides information on the farming, production, packing, distribution, transportation, and sales processes of a particular item of clothing. By reducing the difficulty of accessing this information on a product’s life cycle, traceability has the potential to increase conscious consumption.” If in fact, consumers are wanting to know more about where their … Read more

Ask Kathy: I Want Saturated Color!

Dear Kathy, I am a total newbie natural dyer and one thing I keep wondering about is why am I always getting a marbling effect when I dye? I’d love to know how to get saturated color! My husband and I would like to darken our denim and it’s not working the way we’d like. Signed, Atlantic Amy (and Jim) ______________ Hi Amy, Sounds like you are looking for a more even shade when you dye with natural dyes?  Nearly all hand dyeing has a characteristic unevenness, and this is actually preferred by many dyers and designers as the hallmark … Read more

Natural Dye and Printing/Surface Design Workshop

Have you ever wanted to learn to print with natural dyes? This is a singular opportunity to study the art of creative screen printing and dyeing with 100% non-toxic natural inks, dyes, fabrics and extract from experts in the fields, Kathy Hattori, president of Botanical Colors and textiles design and development specialist Lydia Wendt, founder of California Cloth Foundry. Dye California Cloth Foundry’s “sustainably grown to sewn in America ” fabrics and garments with Kathy Hattori using organically certified natural dyes to achieve a rich background color for printing. With the guidance of Lydia Wendt, use simple tools to achieve … Read more

Design Week at Oregon College of Art and Craft’s “Making It Naturally”

Design week at Oregon College of Art and Craft October 4, 2014 to October 11, 2014 is going to be amazing with a solid line up of events ranging from a pop-up to panels and yes, even a class with Botanical Colors. See below. Natural Dye and Printing/Surface Design Workshop Saturday | October 4 | 9am-4pm OR Sunday | October 5 | 9am-4pm This is a singular opportunity to study the art of creative screen printing and dyeing with 100% non-toxic natural inks, dyes, fabrics and extract from experts in the fields, Kathy Hattori, president of Botanical Colors and textiles … Read more

2014 Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat Registration

Labor Day is the traditional date for the 2014 Men’s Fall KNitting Retreat and this year, Labor Day long weekend is Thursday, August 28th – Sunday, August 31, 2014. This retreat marks the event’s  SIXTH YEAR at Dumas Bay Center in Federal Way, WA (Near Seattle) and Botanical Colors is proud to once again be part! Find a link on the Men’s Knitting Retreat site for a PDF version of the MFKR 2014 poster that you can share with your knitting group or local yarn store that explains what the Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat is all about. For more info or to … Read more

Today on Makers Row: 5 Things to Know Before Choosing Chemical Dyes

We are so excited to have our first post on the Makers Row blog. Talk about a bevy of really important industry information! Thanks to Makers Row for the opportunity to write. Botanical Colors founder Kathy Hattori writes: “Sustainable design often means a concerted effort to really dig into the details of one’s supply chain but the number of variables to track can be truly overwhelming. One point that is often overlooked in the fashion industry is how fabrics are dyed and treated. In fact, for many designers, there is a fundamental disconnect when sourcing dyed and finished fabrics, even “organic” … Read more

This Weekend at Tolt, a Natural Dye Workshop on Gathering Color!

This class teaches the basics of dyeing with traditional raw, natural dyestuffs from ancient times, including madder roots, cochineal, walnut and osage sawdust. Students will also receive a handout with information about common local dye plants plus recipes and procedures for naturally dyeing at home. All yarn will be provided and students will leave class with enough naturally dyed yarn for a small project.  Skill Level: Beginner. No experience necessary. Students should be able to bend, twist, lift, walk and carry heavy buckets of water, dye pots and wet yarns. Supplies Needed: Students wishing to take home some of … Read more

From Printmaking to Indigo Vats, Artist Aleksander Wozniak Explores Color

Aleksander Wozniak is a Poland-based artist, printmaker, and teacher at the University of Warmia and Mazury in the city of Olsztyn. He is also the head of an academic printmaking studio, where he teaches planographic printing techniques (stone lithography, aluminium lithography). Though focused on traditional and experimental printmaking, “as a unique source of inspiration and integral element of creative and pedagogic attitude,” Aleksander is also a lover of color and recently tried out our “Easy, Organic Indigo Vat.” Check out his results! Images: Aleksander Wozniak

‘Rebirthing’ Clothing Through Upcycling & Natural Dyeing to Reduce Carbon

Author Bronte Hogarth pens a story for 1 Million Women on natural dyeing and giving old clothing a new look. We agree with her 100%! Did you know that by “rebirthing clothes through upcycling, you could save an estimated CO2 Saving of 12kg per month (120kg per year), just by extending the life of your clothing?” Neither did we. Now it makes us want to get some vats going immediately and get others addicted to natural dyeing! Read the full story here on 1 Million Women. Image: 1 Million Women

Natural Dye Class at Tolt Yarn and Wool

From Carnation,Washington based Tolt Yarn and Wool’s newsletter you should sign up for! “Two amazing instructors and three engaging opportunities to learn the art of yarn and fiber dyeing are coming up in August! Kathy Hattori is offering two separate workshops which will take place at Jubilee Farm in Carnation! First up is GATHERING COLOR on Saturday, August 23 from 10am to 4pm. This class teaches the basics of dyeing with traditional raw, natural dyestuffs from ancient times, including madder roots, cochineal, walnut and osage sawdust. Students will also receive a handout with information about common local dye plants plus … Read more