The Wild Dyer: A Maker's Guide to Natural Dyes with Projects to Create and Stitch

by Abigail Booth

"…beautifully photographed, chock full of helpful information, and includes instructions not only for dye processes but also beautiful and utilitarian sewing projects, like aprons, bags and placemats, that utilize your newly dyed fabric. " —The Maine Organic Farmer and Gardener
 
A complete illustrated guide to natural dyeing, including simple stich techniques, projects, and foraging, from London-based Forest + Found studio co-founder Abigail Booth
 
Natural dyes are colors and pigments that are derived from plants and minerals. They teach us the value of color and how to work sparingly and be mindful of our consumption of water and energy, and fabrics colored with natural dyes have a beauty and subtlety all their own. Nature’s bounty like onion and avocado skins, chamomile and birch bark, and nettles and acorns can produce lovely, ethereal colors and effects.
 
The Wild Dyer demystifies the eco-conscious art and craft of natural dyeing, comprehensively covering topics such as:
 

• Foraging and growing dying materials
• Repurposing kitchen trimmings
• Making and using long-lasting dyes
• Creating stitched projects
• Workspace setup and equipment
• Fabric choices and care

 
Beautiful accompanying photographs and easy-to-follow instructions also illustrate how to make eight exquisite household items, from a drawstring bag to a gardener's smock to a reversible patchwork blanket, and more. The Wild Dyer is a complete guide for both beginners and experienced artists seeking to expand their knowledge of this increasingly popular craft.

• ISBN10: 1616898410
• ISBN13: 9781616898410
• Publish Date: 1 October 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Princeton Architectural Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Wild Dyer is a new tutorial guide for foraging and utilizing wild plants and other materials for dying by Abigail Booth. Originally published in the UK in 2017, this US release by Princeton Architectural Press, out 1st Oct 2019 is 160 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This book is an odd (but interesting) combination of dyeing, crafting (sewing), and foraging wild materials. The emphasis is on sourcing and using dye materials to produce textiles. The introductory chapters (~26% of the content) cover a little bit of color theory, sourcing and using dye materials, tools, and preparing and dyeing fabric. The author's process tutorials include basic instructions for sourcing, scouring, and mordanting techniques and supplies.

The rest of the book covers growing and harvesting materials from the garden, seasonal foraging, and a reference section including an herbal, glossary, resource list, and index.

This is a good resource for -experimentation- .... the author is very upfront about the variables in home dying being multitudinous and difficult to control. This book is quite suitable for exploring and learning alone or in a small workshop type setting. I don't think this book would be useful for crafters looking for a method to produce large quantities of finished fibre/fabric. Also, the colors resulting from the materials in the book are not uniform and some are muddy (i.e., don't expect clear, strong, modern, aniline dyes). This would be perfect for recreationists (SCA people), period re-enactors who are into authenticity and historical folks.

The projects included are basic and can be achieved by anyone; at least one (coasters) is hand-sewn, some of the others are done with a basic straight stitch machine. Some of the projects are of questionable practicality, but they're all earthy and attractive. I have some experience with textiles, including dyeing fabric with natural materials, and I'm intrigued by the author's instruction for using woad. Her process appears to emphasize minimizing oxygen exposure (it's a bit hazy in the book). I am intrigued because she suggests keeping the fermenting woad near a heat source such as a radiator. When I've used woad in the past, the powerfully unpleasant (nauseating) smell wouldn't be welcome in any home I could imagine.

Anyhow, experimentation is key here. There is a lot of good basic information. The photography is well done and abundant.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.