In this moment in time, learning to do things with our hands--creating and connecting--are ways we can all soothe the soul, quiet the mind, and ease our worries.
But, unless you know how to do any of the million things we scroll past online each day, they're all hypothetical.
In a land of dreamy illusions.
Romanticized creativity.
And one craft that's found its way, not surprisingly, into so many real-life households this year is dyeing.
Adding customized and creative color to our couches and sweatpants, yarn and hair (pretty much anything one can think of to dye)--someone's trying it and dyeing it!
And once we venture into the universe of color, there we meet Natural Dyes.
Rich and earthy, and once again, connecting us to the bigger picture, the planet we live and breathe each day--our nurturer, companion and bestower of so many gifts--Natural Dyes fill a void for all of us home and apartment dwellers yearning for grounding and rich color.
Natural Dyes are pretty simple. They are any item that imparts more-or-less permanent color to a fiber, which in turn can be in the form of yarn or string, or more commonly, fabric that makes up our clothing, accessories, furniture and beyond.
And, while some Natural Dyes can be found in your own kitchen (think: black tea and turmeric), there's a whole host of fugitive Natural Dyes (think: berries, onion skins, cabbage, black beans) that can be fun to learn and experiment with while beginning on the road of natural color. (I'll explore & explain more about fugitive dyes in the future. Subscribe for updates on new posts.)
Some traditional and long-lasting Natural Dyes include Madder Root, Henna and Annatto Seed (pictured above).
Natural Dyes give deep, rich color and, when properly mordanted (more on mordants later), will last a very long time and are more resistant to fading through rinsing and sun exposure.
And, an added benefit--their earthy tones radiate warmth and their patterns capture everything we love being in Nature for--serendipity, fluidity, and grounding.
For more information on Natural Dyes and each step of the Natural Dye process, check out "Intro to Natural Dye," ANINI Designs' 48-page eBook.
I cover everything I teach in my 4-hour in-person Intro to Natural Dye Workshops, in addition to offering eco-friendly adaptions to the process.
Subscribe today for more posts on fiber arts, weaving, natural dye and the intersection of each of these with the #mindfulmaking and #slowcraft movements. Cheers! - Jeanine
