natural dye Archives - Page 4 of 8

Construction Techniques with Aboubakar Fofana: Create a Pair of Stripcloth Trousers

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Indigo Master Dyer Aboubakar Fofana

This week’s FEEDBACK FRIDAY was with indigo master dyer and multidisciplinary artist Aboubakar Fofana. Aboubakar is based in Mali and France and updated us on his latest projects including cotton cultivation in Mali. He also talked about his indigo farm, exhibits and the workshops he is teaching with Botanical Colors this spring and summer. Watch the video recording here: Shop the Finimugu (Malian Strip Cloth) Aboubakar talked about and showed us beautiful images of here. If you don’t know indigo master dyer Aboubakar Fofana, he is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose working mediums include calligraphy, textiles and natural dyes. … Read more

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Melanie Falick

Video From LIVE FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Madder Experiments w/Jamie Bourgeois & Madeleine McGarrity

This week, we’ve got video from our live FEEDBACK FRIDAY featuring Jamie Bourgeois & Madeleine McGarrity talking madder and water quality. This particular FEEDBACK FRIDAY puts a spotlight on our community and the work they are doing regarding pollution and water quality. Watch the video recording here: The discussion focused on the duos investigations into water quality using natural dye processes. Both have used madder from Rubia tinctorum to better understand the composition of a selection of water sources. Jamie concentrates on the possible presence of toxic contaminants taken from Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, a 150-mile stretch of the Mississippi River … 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

Mid-Week FEEDBACK: Indigo Iron Vat & Expired Dyes

This week: How to make an indigo iron vat, can dyes expire and washfastness

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 9 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: 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

Video From Live FEEDBACK FRIDAY: Growing Dye Plants From Seed

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