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The Wild Dyer: A Guide to Natural Dyes & the Art of Patchwork & Stitch
By teaching you the foundations of natural dyeing, and guiding you through the simple stitch techniques, this book will allow you to dip in and out of projects while learning how to forage for and grow your own dye plants.
In The Wild Dyer, Abigail Booth demystifies the `magic' of natural dyeing and shows how to use the results to stunning effect in 15 exquisite patchwork and stitch projects, including a drawstring forager's bag, an apron, samplers, cushions and a reversible patchwork blanket. Focusing on how to grow or gather your own dyeing materials - from onion and avocado skins to chamomile and comfrey, nettles and acorns - as well as scouring, mordanting (using fixative) and setting up a dye vat, Abigail explains how to create effective dyes. And once you have them, how you can produce beautiful, contemporary textiles that can then be used to create projects that build on your skills.
In The Wild Dyer, Abigail Booth demystifies the `magic' of natural dyeing and shows how to use the results to stunning effect in 15 exquisite patchwork and stitch projects, including a drawstring forager's bag, an apron, samplers, cushions and a reversible patchwork blanket. Focusing on how to grow or gather your own dyeing materials - from onion and avocado skins to chamomile and comfrey, nettles and acorns - as well as scouring, mordanting (using fixative) and setting up a dye vat, Abigail explains how to create effective dyes. And once you have them, how you can produce beautiful, contemporary textiles that can then be used to create projects that build on your skills.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
August 6, 2019
I've read a handful of books about dyeing fabric with natural materials over the past year and this one is a bit simpler and more accessible than most that I read, which is a plus in my eyes but may be a negative to others. The author breaks the plants down by type -- kitchen plants (like avocado and red onion peels), plants to grow in the garden (like black eyed susans and madder), plants for forage in summer and in fall (like sorrel and elderberries). Each section features a project to hand sew with cloth dyed by plants in that section. The book also briefly goes into mordants (primarily alum and iron).
Each section includes a little picture of the plants scattered on materials dyed with it and with it along with a mordant (which typically makes the color darker and browner/grayer), usually in a grid of 4 beautifully arranged plants per page on scraps of cloth dyed with them.
The photos are beautiful and the projects are lovely. Most are fairly simple. To be honest, some of the dyeing books I've read had more vivid colors and more varieties of plants, but those also seemed more intimidating in scope. This seems like an excellent book for a beginner, especially one who also loves foraging.
My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost
I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.
Each section includes a little picture of the plants scattered on materials dyed with it and with it along with a mordant (which typically makes the color darker and browner/grayer), usually in a grid of 4 beautifully arranged plants per page on scraps of cloth dyed with them.
The photos are beautiful and the projects are lovely. Most are fairly simple. To be honest, some of the dyeing books I've read had more vivid colors and more varieties of plants, but those also seemed more intimidating in scope. This seems like an excellent book for a beginner, especially one who also loves foraging.
My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost
I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.
August 14, 2019
This book is beautiful, but one I would recommend only to strict, devout hippie readers/dyers.
I am interested in learning to dye fabrics for some macramé projects I’m doing, and I live in the woods, so I thought this would be a great place to start as I have access to all sorts of plants, nuts and berries. There were a couple photos of vivid dyes, mostly using berries, but the dyes used in the project examples were very muted, and the process seemed too much work for the end result. The sample projects were not very interesting and they reminded me more of a 1970s craft book of sewing for beginners.
On the plus side, the photographs are beautiful, and I really loved how the book was sectioned into the seasons of the year. This makes it very easy to figure out what projects will work for you at any particular moment of the year.
That said, I do live in an area that attracts people who are very environmentally conscious and I’m familiar with their thinking and values. These people, the kind who are really willing to put in the work, would love this book. I did like the photos that showed the colors you could achieve with different materials, and I think if those muted colors are your aesthetic, then this book would be quite valuable when looking for new projects.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Although this book was not for me, I think it will have value for a different audience and it might be very fun to try some of these dyes with children after a nature walk.
I am interested in learning to dye fabrics for some macramé projects I’m doing, and I live in the woods, so I thought this would be a great place to start as I have access to all sorts of plants, nuts and berries. There were a couple photos of vivid dyes, mostly using berries, but the dyes used in the project examples were very muted, and the process seemed too much work for the end result. The sample projects were not very interesting and they reminded me more of a 1970s craft book of sewing for beginners.
On the plus side, the photographs are beautiful, and I really loved how the book was sectioned into the seasons of the year. This makes it very easy to figure out what projects will work for you at any particular moment of the year.
That said, I do live in an area that attracts people who are very environmentally conscious and I’m familiar with their thinking and values. These people, the kind who are really willing to put in the work, would love this book. I did like the photos that showed the colors you could achieve with different materials, and I think if those muted colors are your aesthetic, then this book would be quite valuable when looking for new projects.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Although this book was not for me, I think it will have value for a different audience and it might be very fun to try some of these dyes with children after a nature walk.
September 29, 2019
I received a copy through NetGalley for review.
I've come across a few books on natural dyeing, this one had a nice combination of both explaining tools, you will need. How to treat your fabrics to prep them for dyeing. On using and making mordants. How to set up the dye vats.
This one has a better flow of reading, gives the feel that it's not as stressful or complicated as it sounds. It's set up based on dyes you can find in your own kitchen or at a grocery store. And also seasonal plant matter you may find in your area. Depending on where you live you may find more of these types of plants, than others. And ones you can plant and grow in your own garden.
It also gives you projects to make that can aide you in your gardening and plant foraging which I also liked.
It has a nice glossary of dye plants too, and the different parts that are used for the dye. It's a good list, but isn't the most comprehensive I've seen.
But all in all, it's a well laid out book for a beginner or intermediate dyer.
I've come across a few books on natural dyeing, this one had a nice combination of both explaining tools, you will need. How to treat your fabrics to prep them for dyeing. On using and making mordants. How to set up the dye vats.
This one has a better flow of reading, gives the feel that it's not as stressful or complicated as it sounds. It's set up based on dyes you can find in your own kitchen or at a grocery store. And also seasonal plant matter you may find in your area. Depending on where you live you may find more of these types of plants, than others. And ones you can plant and grow in your own garden.
It also gives you projects to make that can aide you in your gardening and plant foraging which I also liked.
It has a nice glossary of dye plants too, and the different parts that are used for the dye. It's a good list, but isn't the most comprehensive I've seen.
But all in all, it's a well laid out book for a beginner or intermediate dyer.
March 12, 2019
Loved it. Absolutely phenomenal photos.
December 23, 2021
A good starter to get into home dyeing. The pictures are lovely, but more important are the ‚recipes‘. Personally only got it for those and not the projects as I know what i want to make.
October 23, 2019
In my blog (and in the field of theatrical costume production in general), there's not much focus on natural dyes. Costume designers are quite particular about color control, and most of the time when I'm asked to dye something for a show, I'm given a Pantone color or some other extant swatch to which I must color-match the yardage or costume piece. Color control can be difficult with any dyestuff--synthetic or natural--but natural dyes require significant experience to exert the level of control the theatrical discipline generally requires.
That said, I can envision conceptual productions or theater companies for whom natural dyeing was a conscious choice on behalf of the creative team or the organization itself. For example, imagine a costume designer who purposefully chose to create costumes only from naturally dyed fabrics/garments.
If natural dyeing is something you've wanted to try but found intimidating--natural dyes often require mordants or unusual processes to make the reactions work and the chromophores (colorizing elements) bond to the fibers. I've read enough natural-dye textbooks to empathize; it's complicated! Booth's book, however, is not. Her self-taught approach is very accessible.
This book is aimed at the home crafter with an interest in beginning to work with natural dyes. Booth focuses on things you can probably find in nature, or grow in your garden, or even stuff you might stock in your pantry. If your grocery store carries things like red and yellow onions, tea and coffee, black beans and purple cabbage, then you can get what you need to do the dye projects in this book.
After all, theatrically speaking, we DO engage in the type of natural dyeing Booth puts forward in the majority of the projects in this book, which is often controlled staining: if you've ever gotten the note "tea-dip white shirt" or "tech down white shirt" and done it with, yes, tea bags, then you've got the concept down for several of the types of dyes she covers: gentle colors, pastel saturations.
She does talk about iron as a mordant, but that's as complex as it gets, chemically. She doesn't go into vat dyes with a leuco- stage/form (like indigo); if, after you complete a few of the dye projects in this book, you want to know more about the many other types of natural dyes which are chemically more complex, you can start with the Turkey Red Journal and peruse their archives for some great book recommendations!
The dye projects are paired with sewing projects which are also quite simple--coaster, placemats, table runners...I think the most complicated things are aprons. But, since most of my readership consists of professional costumers, there's no reason why you can't use what you learn on more complicated garments or even scaled up on yardage. I mean, I have done the black tea process on a batch of six shirts in my 60-gallon dye vat with industrial sized teabags!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That said, I can envision conceptual productions or theater companies for whom natural dyeing was a conscious choice on behalf of the creative team or the organization itself. For example, imagine a costume designer who purposefully chose to create costumes only from naturally dyed fabrics/garments.
If natural dyeing is something you've wanted to try but found intimidating--natural dyes often require mordants or unusual processes to make the reactions work and the chromophores (colorizing elements) bond to the fibers. I've read enough natural-dye textbooks to empathize; it's complicated! Booth's book, however, is not. Her self-taught approach is very accessible.
This book is aimed at the home crafter with an interest in beginning to work with natural dyes. Booth focuses on things you can probably find in nature, or grow in your garden, or even stuff you might stock in your pantry. If your grocery store carries things like red and yellow onions, tea and coffee, black beans and purple cabbage, then you can get what you need to do the dye projects in this book.
After all, theatrically speaking, we DO engage in the type of natural dyeing Booth puts forward in the majority of the projects in this book, which is often controlled staining: if you've ever gotten the note "tea-dip white shirt" or "tech down white shirt" and done it with, yes, tea bags, then you've got the concept down for several of the types of dyes she covers: gentle colors, pastel saturations.
She does talk about iron as a mordant, but that's as complex as it gets, chemically. She doesn't go into vat dyes with a leuco- stage/form (like indigo); if, after you complete a few of the dye projects in this book, you want to know more about the many other types of natural dyes which are chemically more complex, you can start with the Turkey Red Journal and peruse their archives for some great book recommendations!
The dye projects are paired with sewing projects which are also quite simple--coaster, placemats, table runners...I think the most complicated things are aprons. But, since most of my readership consists of professional costumers, there's no reason why you can't use what you learn on more complicated garments or even scaled up on yardage. I mean, I have done the black tea process on a batch of six shirts in my 60-gallon dye vat with industrial sized teabags!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2019
Another wonderful book! I have used natural dyes in my crafts and cooking in the past. But really wasn't aware of so many plants that could be used to dye. I think most of these should only be used for fabrics (though I have used a few for Easter eggs; but please look elsewhere for safe edible dyes.) I do forage, so I will have to take note of more plants in my area to scour for dye sources! Very useful book for beginner dyers using wild dyes. I look forward to using the book. Also contains ideas for creating things out of the materials. I liked the photos; very useful.
I was unable to download it, but was able to find a copy available at my library!
I was unable to download it, but was able to find a copy available at my library!
November 25, 2021
I'm always fascinated, although clueless, about natural dyes and dying. After reading this book, I'm convinced that if I want to make an abundant variety of grays, tans, golds and browns, natural dying is the way to go. You can even, with the proper plants and mordants, make some shades of red or blue.
I'm still fascinated, slightly less clueless, and happy to have explored this book which includes how-to's for dying foraging and some simple projects you can make with your dyed fabrics. I especially loved the projects useful when foraging for dye plants.
I'm still fascinated, slightly less clueless, and happy to have explored this book which includes how-to's for dying foraging and some simple projects you can make with your dyed fabrics. I especially loved the projects useful when foraging for dye plants.
August 13, 2019
A beautiful book with wonderful photos to go with easy instructions and simple to sew projects for any beginner. It does seem like a process to complete the dying and many household items are needed, but worth the effort in both fun and results. This would be great for any homesteader that may already have a majority of all the items, plants, veggies used, or any home crafter. A public library must have!
September 27, 2020
This book is a feast for the eyes and is chock full of information on dying, materials needed, mordants, how to set up a dying area and wild foraging a wide variety of plants for dying with lots of beautiful color samples and inspirational creative sewing projects too. All around great book.
October 20, 2020
The book had lots of inspiration but I found it lacked clear recipes. The author does state at the beginning that she prefers not to work with recipes so it would be more ideal for someone who works by feel.
July 18, 2021
Covers a lot of dyes that you can find in your kitchen, garden and foraging, with pictures of what each dye will look like in various mordanted cloths. Very good step by step instructions on how to dye.
December 31, 2017
Inspiring
July 16, 2018
A sumptuous visual feast with beautiful projects to make.
I especially loved the colour swatches for plants in different seasons.
I especially loved the colour swatches for plants in different seasons.
May 22, 2019
Three words: stunning, organic, appreciative
October 3, 2024
Very thorough introduction to natural dyes. This book has inspired me to try this new project.
November 6, 2019
A simple introduction to plant based dyeing. Loved it!
July 1, 2020
What a wonderful book! It is so well put together, and so beautiful.
November 15, 2020
Of all the natural dyeing books I have pursued so far I think this one is my favorite. Would check out again.
June 26, 2022
Very pretty book but not much new information if you already know a bit about natural dyes
January 15, 2022
Hats off for a beautifully designed, easily approachable read. Unfortunately I picked this up after already immersing myself in dyer knowledge, and so I know that many of the berries and food scrap samples she recommends (red cabbage, blackberries) are more like stains, and not dyes. They will slowly wash out. Still, I love the scraps displaying the range of shades each plant can produce. Inspiring. And, it’s a perfectly fine intro to dyeing. Especially if you don’t need your colours to be wash fast.
Can’t say much for the sewing projects, all very similarly styled with rough hems and simple sashiko-esque white running stitch. Again, a fine intro. Just not 5 stars.
Can’t say much for the sewing projects, all very similarly styled with rough hems and simple sashiko-esque white running stitch. Again, a fine intro. Just not 5 stars.
September 26, 2022
I am an avid natural dyer and own several (ahem...many) books on the subject. Abigail's is my new favorite. Her aesthetic is lovely and her instructions are simple and easy to follow. She includes some basic sewing projects as well. I give this book my sincerest recommendation!
December 25, 2022
This book was like an invitation to experiment. It was excellent for the beginner like me. Nicely laid out and written in an uncomplicated way that encouraged me to try following the authors instructions then to go further.
September 27, 2023
I didn’t really care for the sewing tutorials, I would have preferred to have more in depth instruction on how each specific dyestuff is handled. I appreciate the east readability of the instructions and it was laid out nicely. I took photos of some of the pages for future use.
August 31, 2019
Some excellent information in here about beginning the step to natural dyes. I do junk journaling and knowing some additional dye colors to make will be a fun boost to my pages.
September 9, 2021
Maybe I just needed this book to remind me that I don't want to embark on a new hobby!
Beautiful drawn illustrations and a great subtle of colours. Maybe a good background to mindfulness?
Beautiful drawn illustrations and a great subtle of colours. Maybe a good background to mindfulness?
September 19, 2022
Very clear demonstrations!
October 7, 2022
Beautiful and inspiring with lots of good beginner projects
December 9, 2022
Hands on practical, step by step, user friendly, great visuals and achievable projects.
August 15, 2023
This contained some useful info to add to my ecoprinting repotriore.
The photos are gorgeous and, if I sewed, I'd have fun with the crafts.
The photos are gorgeous and, if I sewed, I'd have fun with the crafts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews