Natural color

Duerr, a professor at California College of the Arts as well as a designer known for her work with organic dyes, shares tips for mixing pigments to produce "plant-based palettes" for clothing and home textiles. Duerr teaches dye projects-hat, blanket, curtain, bag-organized by season, as knowing what plants are in season matters when one is foraging from the wild. Spring produces avocado pit pillows. Summer's palette includes oxalis, nettles, and roses; fall presents a madder-dyed scarf. Winter's red cabbage dyes baby mittens. Duerr likens producing dyes from natural color to cooking: both involve finding just the right ingredients, fiddling around, and having good timing. She warns that setting up a studio for dyeing requires attention to safety, as the process involves high heat and irritants from plants and mordants (fixers). Along the way, Duerr persuasively advocates for buying clothing made by local artisans using sustainable methods. She is at the forefront of the "slow fashion" movement, from which readers can expect to see many future books. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Duerr (The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes) takes a seasonal approach to dyeing fiber and fabric in this collection of recipes for naturally dyed textiles. Duerr was drawn to natural dyeing through her love of nature and desire to live a sustainable lifestyle. Each section opens with an overview of the season's palette, including plants appropriate for use in dyeing available during that season, whether as produce (or byproducts of produce, such as peels and skins), in the garden, or available to gather in the wild. Coverage of each individual plant includes a recipe for dye derived from the plant that can be used on any natural fiber, plus a project or two using dyed fiber, fabric, or a premade garment (such as a dress or a tunic). Overviews of mordants commonly applied in natural dyeing and different techniques (e.g., shibori, dip dyeing, resists) round out the volume. Duerr's style is narrative, and her appreciation for nature is apparent, as is her concern for the environmental impact of the consumer goods we use on a daily basis. VERDICT Duerr is knowledgeable and thorough, and fiber artists with an interest in incorporating natural dyeing into their work will find the information they need to get started, as well as insight into the dyeing process. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

WHAT SLOW FOOD CAN SHARE WITH FAST FASHION Toxic color comes at an enormous environmental and human cost. Many do not realize that although we do not eat our clothing and textiles, the same materials that go into making our garments and disposing of them become us. Residue from synthetic chemicals used to make dyes can be found in our air, water, and soil. Many of these synthetic chemicals don't break down well, and the World Bank estimates that 17 to 20 percent of the world's industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment. There are seventy-two toxic chemicals in our water that originate purely from the dyeing process; of these, thirty cannot be removed. As a January 11, 2013, New York Times piece by Dan Fagin details, our current methods of devouring fast fashion and synthetic dyes have us in "A Cancer Cycle, From Here to China.". Manufactured fashion "seasons" move quickly and relentlessly. The term "fast fashion" suggests that an article of clothing may continue to be functional but is no longer perceived to be stylish or appropriate. Unfortunately, everyone, as well as the environment, pays for the bargain bin. As with fast food, there's little emphasis on the fallout of production or the negative social and environmental effects of rapid consumption. When you are working with the plant-based color, in contrast, you're constantly aware that you are working on nature's schedule, not just your own. With plant dyeing, you can be directly involved with the plant and its life cycle and even the care and quality of the materials used to get a successful result.  Natural color can be sourced from renewable resources--like waste and weeds found in by-products of agriculture and even in urban centers. Many plants discarded from agricultural crops are also dye sources; these include cover crops, like fava bean leaves and stalks, California poppy roots, and gleaned by-products, like artichoke leaves and avocado pits, which make rich natural colors. And many everyday waste products from our urban, suburban, and rural kitchens, restaurants, and grocery stores--such as onion skins, carrot tops, and pomegranate rinds--can also be upcycled from waste bins to make beautiful natural colors and still be composted. BIODIVERSITY OF COLOR Plant dyes have a rich history in every culture on the planet. The quest to revive the practice of natural plant dyeing relies heavily on rediscovery and sharing information, as a vast amount of practical knowledge has been lost. Dyeing with plants means more than simply replacing synthetic materials with natural ones--it means changing the way we care for and interact with our natural environment. Natural color is an immersive and fully sensory experience. Experimenting with fallen redwood cones is awe inspiring, from the color that emerges--deep mauve, purples, and blacks--to the smell of the dye bath, like a walk in a rainy coastal redwood forest. Making your own natural dyes awakens the potential for designing as nature does, with purpose and beauty. The value of "living" color is to appreciate and treasure the inherent uniqueness of nature and, as with an heirloom fruit or vegetable, to ensure biodiversity for future generations. Excerpted from Natural Color: Vibrant Plant Dye Projects for Your Home and Wardrobe by Sasha Duerr All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.