The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients

by Sasha Duerr

Artist and designer Sasha Duerr takes the do-it-yourself movement to the next level in her new book, The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes . Duerr demonstrates how to create complex and complimentary colors by using plants grown or resources found in the garden or collected from sidewalks and vacant lots. Simple and sustainable, her methods will work on fabrics, paper, shoes, lamp shades, wood beads, leather, and even hair. This is a book for any gardener, sewer, fabric lover, or do-it-yourselfer interested in adding safe and spectacular colors from everyday ingredients.

Genres: Crafts, Nonfiction, Art, Knitting

171 pages, Paperback

First published November 21, 2010

Reviews

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contained awesome colorful photos with easy-to-understand instructions on dying cloth using various plant material. I have been wanting to try my hand at using natural substances with my mixed media art for quite awhile. I have followed several blogs but have always felt a little overwhelmed.

I am a 'visual' person and need clear and concise pictures to match the lessons when I try to teach myself something new. Ms. Duerr's enthusiastic but common sense approach and her informative snippets on 'wonderful weeds', herbs, various barks and leaves crossed over the pages and travelled into my home. I can't wait to follow up with some of her ideas.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good beginner instructions. Includes a supply list, which I found very helpful. Has instructions for using mordants as well as a few recommendations for unmordanted dyeing. Lots of color photos.

The author is a little bit preachy, sometimes, about using natural/organic *everything* in your fiber projects. And she seems to think everyone can and should grow or harvest their own dye plants. Not all of us live in California!

I will definitely be taking this book from the library again next time I try a dye project. I would also consider buying this one.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "how-to" book with getting started information, clearly written recipes, a section on gathering and growing your own color, and loads of "Try this" ideas throughout the book. Sasha Duerr ends the book with a chapter on plant palette and another on the slow movement in making textiles. Previously, all the information I had on natural plant dyes was a dozen pages from a 20-year old Girl Scout event. So enjoying looking through this book and thinking about the possibilities.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book is the chapter "Natural Dye Color Chart" where the author shows the effect of alum, iron, or alum plus iron, on the resulting color.

[Jec · Rating 4 out of 5]

good resource book

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good deep dive into specific techniques, with projects mixed in

[Chils27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

would love to try the easiest without mordant for my slow stitching

[Tessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty and wordy. Not super memorable.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

a basic review of dying with simple home ingredients

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty useful guide, useful for both people with great yards full of natural materials as well as those a bit more urban and nature-challenged. Many ingredients can be purchased at grocery stores and equipment from secondhand shops (or recycling older pots and containers you already have).

I'd like to try some projects from here but won't have time until after I have to return the library book, so I think this will be a buy for me soon! ;)

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a decent book with a lot of jumping off points for a lot of different factors in the natural dyeing process from start to finish. definitely artistic as opposed to scientific - color swatches are small, list of ingredients are small compared to the rest of the information in the book, steadfastness of color for various ingredients with and without mordants isn't discussed much, neither is color mixing, or how different dyes look on cotton as opposed to wool.

[Ayelet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great how-to book on dying with natural ingredients, like onionskins, cabbage, lavendar, turmeric and more. Can't wait to try it out!

[Gwendolyn Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an informative first look at natural dyes; with absolutely stunning photography and a beautiful layout.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book full of interesting techniques and colours. But very centred on the North American experience.