People ask me how I started on my journey of learning about and making botanical products. Honestly, there was not one thing in particular; I've always enjoyed the creative process. My career in writing adult training curriculum offered me the opportunity to learn a variety of technologies, from network operating systems to personal computer applications. The courses I enjoyed learning and writing about the most were graphical interface applications, like Photoshop. Being a visual learner, Adobe products were right up my alley, as they are all about creating and editing visuals.
Once I retired, I replaced the computer with tactile projects. I tried my hand at making glass beads, water color painting, alcohol ink, paint pouring and decoupage. With the exception of decoupage, most crafts I tried fizzled out quickly. But with decoupage I could combine various types of papers with dried flowers, I've always been an advid gardener, so growing and drying flowers was a natural fit for me. I wanted to do more with flowers and leaves, and in searching for ideas, I came across an on-line course in eco-dyeing, taught by Irit Dulman from Tel Aviv. Until that course, I had no idea the colors that can be produced using plant-based materials. I was hooked! For the past three years I've soaked up as much knowledge as I can, and continue to do so. I've learned the Dirty Pot method from Nicola Brown in Northern Ireland. I found both the Maiwa School of Textiles In Vancouver, and the professionals at Botanical Colors in Seattle, WA to continually find instructions and ideas. I purchase all my plant extracts from Botanical Colors.
Eco-dyeing is an art and a process used all over the world that is gaining in popularity in the USA and Canada. It is a movement away from harsh industrial chemicals used for dyeing, in favor of using what nature provides: flowers, bark, leaves, etc.
Using the earth's resources for dyeing is not an exact science. It can produce recognizable floral images, or result in a more abstract appearance. Colors often blend with one another or can be modifed.
My latest venture is Indigo dyeing. Although I failed Chemistry in school, the delictate pH balance needed to create an Indigo vat is more than making up for it!
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.