Natural kitchen dyes : make your own dyes from fruit, vegetables, herbs and tea, plus ten eco-friendly craft projects
(Book)

In her second book, Hall (Seasonal Plant Dyes, 2020) concentrates on overall how-tos and projects rather than on the details in this increasingly popular craft. For instance, rather than listing all the materials that do or do not take dye well, she describes the stick-to-it properties of natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic fabrics in general. She uses this same approach for other aspects of dye making, such as the necessary tools (she does explain using magnets to differentiate aluminum from stainless steel), dye basics, plants to collect, and the like. A dozen recipes for both dyes and mordants (fluids that ensure colors will bond) will encourage experimentation--what would a dye from, say, carrot tops and rooibos look like? Hall's ideas and ten projects venture far beyond clothing: a chickpea necklace, raffia basket, paint made with squashed berries. Hall outlines a kid-friendly craft that just might engage adults too.

Hall (Seasonal Plant Dyes) digs into kitchen chemistry in this cozy guide to using plants to make dyes. She begins with advice on sourcing materials in low-cost, eco-friendly ways, such as enlisting friends to save food scraps and reaching out to local farmers. Hall then describes various fabric types (natural fibers derived from animals make for the most vibrant colors) and tools (most of which can be found in the kitchen). She shows how to color fabric with avocado skins for a peach tint, carrot tops for green, and turmeric for yellow, and there are tricks for using dyes for printing, too. Then come the projects: there's an avocado-dyed, upcycled T-shirt bag; home-dyed patchwork jeans; and a sewn floor cushion readers can color-customize. Most are suitable for beginners, but a few, such as the purple and tan raffia basket, may require crafters to seek out extra instruction. Each item is accompanied by vivid photos, and there are lots of tips to keep things moving: cloth dyed with hibiscus tea, for example, will change to a grayish-purple after it's washed because of its pH sensitivity. This fun collection will be a valuable addition to any DIY library. (June)

In her second book, Hall (Seasonal Plant Dyes, 2020) concentrates on overall how-tos and projects rather than on the details in this increasingly popular craft. For instance, rather than listing all the materials that do or do not take dye well, she describes the stick-to-it properties of natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic fabrics in general. She uses this same approach for other aspects of dye making, such as the necessary tools (she does explain using magnets to differentiate aluminum from stainless steel), dye basics, plants to collect, and the like. A dozen recipes for both dyes and mordants (fluids that ensure colors will bond) will encourage experimentation—what would a dye from, say, carrot tops and rooibos look like? Hall's ideas and ten projects venture far beyond clothing: a chickpea necklace, raffia basket, paint made with squashed berries. Hall outlines a kid-friendly craft that just might engage adults too. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Hall (Seasonal Plant Dyes) digs into kitchen chemistry in this cozy guide to using plants to make dyes. She begins with advice on sourcing materials in low-cost, eco-friendly ways, such as enlisting friends to save food scraps and reaching out to local farmers. Hall then describes various fabric types (natural fibers derived from animals make for the most vibrant colors) and tools (most of which can be found in the kitchen). She shows how to color fabric with avocado skins for a peach tint, carrot tops for green, and turmeric for yellow, and there are tricks for using dyes for printing, too. Then come the projects: there's an avocado-dyed, upcycled T-shirt bag; home-dyed patchwork jeans; and a sewn floor cushion readers can color-customize. Most are suitable for beginners, but a few, such as the purple and tan raffia basket, may require crafters to seek out extra instruction. Each item is accompanied by vivid photos, and there are lots of tips to keep things moving: cloth dyed with hibiscus tea, for example, will change to a grayish-purple after it's washed because of its pH sensitivity. This fun collection will be a valuable addition to any DIY library. (June)