Handsome line drawings of 126 common, roadside plants are included with tips on how to use them to obtain a range of warm, subtle colors.

The dyeing of textiles and other materials is a rewarding and delightful way to bring the colors of nature to daily living. In this fascinating book, the authors have compiled extensive information to bring the techniques, plants, and lore of natural dyeing within every reader s reach."

"'Harvesting Color' presents the entire process of infusing your life with color--finding the right plants, harvesting them at the best time, transforming the crop into beautiful dye, and, finally, marring pigment to fiber. In this beautiful book, Rebecca Burgess showcases thre dozen common plants that yield striking hues. Citing fascinating botanical lore, she demystifies the process of recognizing each plant in the wild. For those you can grow yourself, she details when to sow the seed and how to nuture the plant. For all the plants, you'll learn the optimal time to harvest, as well as how to extract the best dyes" --Cover flap.

Simply written text, accompanied by detailed line illustrations of plants, explains how to select and mix natural colors of wool and prepare "recipes" for producing specific colors of dye from desert plants, among them single-flowered actinea for yellow, alder bark for a soft brown, the Rocky Mountain bee plant for a pale greenish yellow, more.

This long-awaited guide serves as a tool to explain the general principles of natural dyeing, and to help dyers to become more accomplished at their craft through an increased understanding of the process. Photos of more than 450 samples demonstrate the results of actual dye tests, and detailed information covers every aspect of natural dyeing including theory, fibers, mordants, dyes, printing, organic indigo vats, finishing, and the evaluation of dye fastness. Special techniques of printing and discharging indigo are featured as well. The book is intended for dyers and printers who wish to more completely understand the "why" and the "how," while ensuring safe and sustainable practices. Written by a textile engineer and chemist (Boutrup) and a textile artist and practitioner (Ellis), its detailed and tested recipes for every process, including charts and comparisons, make it the ideal resource for dyers with all levels of experience.

"Plants, algae, fungi and insects have been used as dye sources for centuries. Focusing on the sources of dyes that grow wild, or are suitable for cultivation, in Northern Europe, this book explores the versatility, practical uses and environmentally safe applications of natural dyes, while at the same time delving into their botany, chemistry and methods of dyeing. The reader is presented with details of dyes from different sources and information on dyeing practice accompanied by a wealth of beautiful photographic images that illustrate the possible tangible end results discussed in the narrative. Dyeing has traditionally been linked with small-scale craftsmanship and many recipes for home dyeing together with guidance for textile printing are included. However the authors also show how natural dyes are now being utilised on an industrial scale and are becoming increasingly important as a source of renewable raw materials."--Publisher's website.

Chronological historical citations document 500 years of usage of plants, trees, and shrubs native to eastern Canada and northeastern United States. Also complete identifying information, 343 illustrations. "You can't go wrong." — Botanic & Herb Reviews.