Botanical Dyes: Plant-to-Print Techniques and Tips

This intensive manual by Behan (Botanical Inks), founder of the Botanical Inks dye studio, shows how to make dyes “from natural sources, such as plants, fungi, minerals and insects.” Detailing the history of “deriving colour from natural resources,” she notes the practice likely started around 10,000 BCE with the first cave paintings, and that the labor-intensive process of “crushing thousands of sea snails” to create Tyrian purple made the color a status symbol for ancient Phoenicians. Behan digs into how to make dye baths from leaves, berries, and other natural materials; for instance, one can chop up acorns, boil them, and soak them for three weeks to make a brown dye. She also discusses methods for dyeing textiles, including putting fabric in a glass container filled with dye and heating it up by leaving it in direct sunlight. More advanced techniques for giving garments color include woodblock printing, which involves carving a shape from wood, brushing it with dye, and applying it to fabric. Behan offers enlightening cultural background (cochineal insects were “considered more precious than gold” by the Aztecs and Mayans, who ground the bugs into a powder to make dyes), though casual crafters may be intimidated by the wordy instructions, which are short on photo illustrations. Still, this has much to offer. (Aug.)