Thursday, August 06, 2020

Seasonal Plant Dyes Review & GIVEAWAY

Learn how easy it is to make color from plants with Seasonal Plant Dyes by Alicia Hall. In her gorgeous debut book the English plant dyer and owner of Botanical Threads shares her passion for dyeing. It's a general guide to the process of plant dyeing and contains dye recipes for 19 botanical specimens such as herbs, flowers, roots, leaves, berries and cones, etc. Learn about harvesting plants, choosing fabrics, tools, soya milk, dyeing basics and modifiers as they relate to plant dyeing. Almost all of the recipes are straightforward and uncomplicated. They are organized seasonally and contain short sections on color, what you need, making the dye and dyeing the fabric. Along side each recipe is very useful plant information. No expensive equipment is required - you just need a few old pots and pans, wooden spoons, a sieve/colander and a place to forage. Four projects are included - a linen cushion cover, embroidered picnic blanket, hot water bottle cozy and quilt. The complete table of contents is listed below. It's everything you need to know to start making colorful and environmentally friendly plant dyes at home! Also check out Alicia's inspiring web-site. You'll find the special recipe for soya milk she uses as an alternative to harmful chemicals. Casemate IPM released this 104 page paperback on May 27, 2020. It is also available in e-book format. Get your copy below!


contents 

INTRODUCTION 

CHAPTER ONE 
Harvesting Plants

CHAPTER TWO 
Choosing Fabrics 

CHAPTER THREE 
Tools 

CHAPTER FOUR 
Soya Milk 

CHAPTER FIVE 
Dyeing Basics 

CHAPTER SIX 
Modifiers 

CHAPTER SEVEN 
SPRING 
Mint leaves 
Madder roots
Bay leaves
Nettle tops
Forsythia flowers

Spring Project
Linen Cushion Cover 

CHAPTER EIGHT
SUMMER
Buddleja flowers
Lavender leaves
Woad leaves
St John's wort flowers

Summer Project
Embroidered Picnic Blanket

CHAPTER NINE
AUTUMN
Dahlia flowers
Walnut shells
Elderberries
Dyers chamomile flowers
Yarrow flowers

Autumn Project
Hot Water Bottle Cozy

CHAPTER TEN 
WINTER
Rosemary leaves
Ivy leaves
Eucalyptus leaves
Alder cones
Dyers alkanet roots

Winter Project
Patchwork quilt




chapter one: harvesting plants, pages 12/13


chapter one: harvesting plants, pages 16/17


chapter two: choosing fabrics, pages 24/25


chapter three: tools, pages 26/27
 

A botanically dyed rainbow from Alicia 's Instagram feed.

My copy of the book open to page 41 - the mint leaf dye recipe. Beside it a bowl of freshly picked chocolate and apple mint I have growing in abundance.

Seasonal Plant Dyes is available in Canada and the USA at Casemate IPM and in the UK and Europe at Pen and Sword Books. It is published by White Owl an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, a publisher based in the UK. Casemate IPM has generously offered to giveaway a copy! One winner will be selected at random. Open until August 23, 2020. Canada & USA only. Good luck!


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Casemate IPM

10 comments:

  1. The Wild Atlantic Way sounds like a beautiful photography book.

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  2. Funnyosities sounds like a great book!

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  3. I'd be interested in The Strange Death of the British Motorcycle Industry, for my husband.

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  4. I would love to see The Atlantic Wild Way.

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  5. I would love to have a copy of Craft Your Own Happy.

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  6. I would love to have a copy I'm all about nature

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  7. I would love to receive: "Floral Embroidery" by Teagan Olivia Sturmer.

    ReplyDelete