Author: Gwen Fereday
This illustrated handbook shows you how to create over 500 vibrant colours. It is invaluable whether you are a beginner and dyeing for the first time, or more experienced and wishing to perfect your technique.
Part One helps to broaden your awareness of the range of colours that are obtainable from natural dyes. Step-by-step photography and straightforward explanations lead you through the various stages of each process. The author focuses on the five classic dyestuffs of madder, cochineal, weld, cutch and indigo; and the five classic mordants (colour fixatives) of alum, tin, iron, chrome and copper. She also shows how to produce dyes from wild or garden plants. Full of useful tips and practical advice, from which fibre to choose, to testing for basic colour fastness, Part One makes experimenting with dyes enjoyable and effective.
Part Two is devoted to twenty-eight stunning colour charts made up of 506 colour swatches, each with an accompanying recipe. From crimson red to the palest of greys, the classic dyes and mordants combine to create an extraordinary range of colours. All the recipes have been tested by the author, and her results have been faithfully reproduced so you can choose the best colour for your purpose. With a final section including further reading suggestions and a list of suppliers, Natural Dyes is a fully comprehensive and highly practical guide to the art of dyeing.
