Discover the rare Japanese dye murasaki, extracted from Lithospermum erythrorhizon roots. Learn its rich history, cold-extraction method, and how to achieve stunning purples on silk and wool.

Sukumo indigo holds a special place as a time-honored dyeing technique. Derived from the leaves of the Polygonum tinctorium plant, Sukumo...

In my quest to give a more profound, layered meaning to my work, I have been diving increasingly into the history of natural dyes. This...

Re-dyeing 18th century dye recipes by Paul Gout in Montpellier, France

Birch trees are deciduous trees that belong to the Betulaceae family, which also includes alders and hazels. There are approximately 60...

The rarest dyes, part of a series of (now) rare natural dyes, see also the blog about Murex and Kakishibu. Kermens is an insect-derived...

In the summer of 2022, I visited Mexico for almost a month. I started with a visit to Mexico City and Cuernavaca, then moved to San...

A blog in the series "The rarest dyes", see the blog about Murex dyeing here. Persimmons (Latin: Diospyros kaki) are a fruit with a long...

Try Symplocos for a 100% plant based dye process and stunning new shades. In the second half of the 19th century, botany was extremely...

Murex dyes for purple and blues from antiquity to today

Indigo Dye Plants

When I was young(er) I studied classical guitar. I actually have a degree-and-a-half in it, finishing the final concert of my Masters...

Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances in an organism, in this case; alum. There are a few plants that are...

Part three in the series about what makes a plant a dye plant

Red is a fascinating color. In the plant world there are several different phytopigments that are responsible for reds, purples and...

Before we get started, let's agree on what I call the Foragers Pact; When foraging it’s important to leave enough for the plant to thrive...

All plant materials contain a mix of different phytochemicals. I am not going to re-invent the wheel and I will quote Wikipedia on the...

They are another classic of the natural dye world. Buckthorn berries, Avignon berries, or best known as; Persian berries. Buckthorn...

Here are 4 Natural Dyes you can use without the need of a mordant. Most natural dyes really need a good mordanting, either...

Using Genista Tictoria, Dyer's Greenweed as a yellow dye source