Eco Colour: Botanical Dyes for Beautiful Textiles

India Flint has perfected much of what modern plant-based dyers use for techniques in exploration of the natural dye processes. She has developed the more successful methods for the process of eco-printing on animal and plant-based fabric. For those who have started to explore both processes, Eco Colour is a great book to read. In the prologue alone, Flint discusses customary processes used in several different cultures around the world, the history of some colors and folklore related to the discovery of some types of color. Rather than specific recipes that get you quickly from A to Z, Flint offers more discussion about a process with which dyers may be familiar. For example, if you have been applying plant based dyes, you are already familiar with mordants and have likely read about the use of various mordants, or learned about them from instructors. Flint discuss alternative mordants, touches on the use of various saps and provides information on how to use them. This information is probably most accessible if you are already familiar with the basic recipes for plant-dyeing. Love this book.

My friend had a copy of this book and it intrigued me enough that I had to order a copy for myself. It's a visually beautiful book - from the t"hand friendly' feel of the cover to the pages that are designed as eye candy.India Flint's techniques are easy and unique.The book is replete with the information you need about a variety of plants and mordants. All of the information that you need to get started are right there in the pages of the. Since she is Australian the the plants described are indigenous to that area - but many are easy to find in North America as well. The techniques described will work with any plant matter and the magic is in the trying and experimenting.I'm not sure that I could say that this is "the only book you'll ever need" for natural dyeing - but is the only book you need for her "bundling" technique. I'm planning to try some of the techniques(adjusted a bit perhaps) on heavy watercolor paper. This book is an excellent addition to the library for any natural dye fan - or for any textile surface designer or admirer. I'm happy that I splurged and bought it !

This book has made me take a second look at botanical dyes. This is not a recipe book. Ms. Flint opens up your eyes to all of the dye stuffs in your neighborhood. Like the slow food movement, she advises getting dyestuff close to home. She shares basic principals for getting the color out of common plants. She describes ways to fix color to silk, wool and cellulose fabrics and spinning fibers. She cuts out the nasty metallic salts as mordants by adding time and not always using heat. Her plants and dyes need to cure or age with the cloth. What that means is that a few minutes are spent applying the color and then you set the cloth aside for days or even months before you finish the process. This could work quite well in my busy life. Her philosophy is captured in one of her tips about hapazome, beating plants on cloth to color them. This technique is not as colorfast as the other techniques. But she tells us to embrace this. Decorate a garment in the spring with those flowers and leaves. As the design fades, add to it with summer blossoms and refresh the fabric again in the fall for an ever-changing fabric.

Serious work from a serious author for a serious reader. Complete textbook for everybody who is not too lazy to try and explore the versatile plant power for textile dyeing. Excellent pictures of dyed fabric and well-organized structure of the book will turn the reading into fascinating journey. The author's experience takes my breath away. It's should be a real passion of her life and it is hard to believe that one life is enough for such a thorough knowlege of the subject. Though the book has no step-by step pictures, it is doomed to become the best in its field.The book could be used in any area, because the list of plants is really impressive. May be you are not so happy to have eucaliptus tree in the neighborhood, - well, you will skip the chapter. Lot of info regarding dyeing with berries, flowers, roots and leaves of all sorts will bring you a pleasure. Moreover, you could turn your new knowlege into a small own business as eco dyeing becomes more popular. I really love it. You will defenitely love it too.