Journeys in Natural Dyeing: Techniques for Creating Color at Home

Love this book

I’m so happy to get this book, thank you

Kristine was one of my first natural dye teachers in the form of her first book, The Modern Natural Dyer. I was curious what new information might be in her second book and was thoroughly pleased! Not only is it written from a place of deep understanding of the science behind dyeing, it invited readers to journey with Kristine and Adrienne as they explored the rich cultural heritages of dyers around the world. I thoroughly appreciated the incredible extent of dye recipes and swatches that were created on both a visual and scientific level as well as the emphasis on sustainability with dyeing resources. I am also excited to finally give some time to learning indigo dye practices-something that has overwhelmed me for years-thanks to the clear instructions presented in this new book.I can't recommend it enough to new and seasoned dyers alike. It's a must have in your textile arts library!

I enjoyed the enthusiasm that the authors had in beautifully photographing and writing about indigo around the world. Visually the book is delightful.But here and there I found information that I questioned.For example on page 193 the authors explained their process in extracting indigoThey were less than satisfied with the small amount of indigo that they extracted as the resulting light blue samples.They suggested adding iron to darken the blue.BUT this should never be done on protein (wool) fiber.If you do you will damage the resulting yarn which if you use in a tapestry will become brittle and break down.Not something you should do if you are going to such effort in dyeing.The authors should have clarified this.I also would have appreciated an Index at the back of the book.

Many dye books do not give good ratio measurements with documented colour results. But this one does. They are sharing their natural dye research study and the chemistry technique shows in the results. If you are naturally dyeing fibers in Iceland to Mexico to Japan or Indonesia and beyond, there is valuable research in here for you.

Buy their first book if you are just starting off, but this is a great sequel as your skill levels improve. Gorgeous photography and lots of information. My only criticism would be that the projects are a bit uninspiring when compared with the stunning projects on Verb's website (garter stitch cowl, woven bracelet, etc), but I don't buy dye books for projects anyway. If you are interested in natural dyeing, this book is a must have!

print too small to see on Kindle - this book should be removed from Kindle.

This is a visually stunning book but also one of tremendous substance. In it, the authors share their extensive knowledge about and experience with natural dyeing in a user-friendly way. And it is truly a pleasure to read. Each chapter begins with a dye-relevant travelogue to one of the several destinations described in the book, Iceland, Mexico, Japan or Indonesia. This section includes narratives describing their work with the dye-masters and textile artists in that particular country and shares significant textile-related activities during their stay. The next section of the chapter is a dye palette inspired by the destination and subsequently an extremely complete set of sample dye cards with a variety of fiber types dyed as well as the recipes for those shades. (I cannot emphasize enough how complete the shade samples are and how well they are exhibited side-by-side. The viewer sees clearly how one small change in the dye recipe or process or fiber type changes the color.) The chapter concludes with instructions for several projects the reader can do using one or more than one of the dye recipes within that chapter. It should also be noted that the book begins with some general guidelines about dyeing, cognizant of both the beginning and advanced dyer. Also, there are supplementary dyeing instructions and tips throughout. This one's a keeper!

Fresh approach, new ideas and beautifully put together. Wonderful book!

I love this book. It’s especially helpful in suggesting the idea at the back which involves making small dye pots in mason jars. I only had jam jars around but the concept worked really well and saved cooking up a giant pot of dye before I knew whether a plant was viable for dyeing fibres. There are also a lot of complex dye processes in this book for the advanced dyer. So, I think the book bridges a lot of skill levels. The authors are great at encouraging experimentation with local plants while giving advice about tried and true dye sources. I also thoroughly enjoyed the international travel aspect of the book, too, and the way that they showed dye traditions in various parts of the world. I began my dye journey with their first book and I might recommend that one (Modern Natural Dyer) if you are an absolute beginner, but I am very pleased with this book and will continue to use it often.

Written with through detail. Photographs are clear and helpful. This is a serious and detailed study of dyeing. I'm really glad I have this book.