blue yarn over an indigo vat in a white bucket

3 Tips to Lower Water Use When Natural Dyeing

  Growing Blue reports that 2.5 billion people (36% of the world population) live in water-scarce regions and more than 20% of the global GDP is already produced in risky, water-stressed areas. Given today’s accelerated pace of human development and the slow pace of managing issues as complex as water resources, tomorrow’s challenges are already at our door. For this year’s Water Quality Month, whether individual, collective, agriculturally focused or industrially inclined, addressing water scarcity begins with you. We’ll call it (cough) the ripple effect. While you work on some possible real-life scenarios for making change, we’ve created 3 tips … 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

Thanksgiving Day Natural Dyeing With Food Waste

Image: Vogue This Thanksgiving Day, why not do what you love and natural dye with food waste while you cook up your mid-day feast? According to Vogue, “With so many color-rich foods on most Thanksgiving menus, Vogue.com decided to get a lesson in natural food coloring, and create a set of eco-chic napkins that can be made in tandem with the holiday meal. As it turns out, the palette procured from turkey-day cuisine is very seventies: Cranberries produce a range of colors from poppy to dusty rose, onion skins tone silk lime and ochre, beet stalks boil into muted moss, … Read more

‘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