The Modern Natural Dyer is terrific primer for anyone new to the technique. Kristine walks you through the ins and outs of the process, from defining what scouring and mordanting mean to helping you learn how best to achieve desired colors. Did you know black tea can transform a plain baby romper into a cozy garment perfect to wear this fall? After dyeing some myself, I now do.
Photo courtesy of STC Craft/Abrams
It’s hard to pick a favorite project from the book as each offers a different approach to using natural dyes and then turning it into something you’ll use and cherish every day. As a quilter, I did find myself instantly in love with Kristine’s sewing kit how-to.
I tried my hand at making one as it combined great practice dyeing on my own for the first time and then sewing it all together.
Kristine, a natural dyer, artist, teacher and author, is owner of A Verb for Keeping Warm, which offers their own line of naturally dyed yarn and fabric in Oakland, Calif. She’s dedicated to teaching others to knit, sew, weave, and to use natural dyes. Verb’s mission is similar as the strive to support other companies which make their own yarn and fabric in the United States and/or from organic materials. Kristine’s storefront houses a yarn and fabric shop, two classrooms, two natural dyeing studios and one educational dye garden.
The Modern Natural Dyer hit store shelves this week, so I asked Kristine a few questions about the book, dyeing with natural products and what’s next for her work.
Where did the inspiration for The Modern Natural Dyer come from?
I had grown up knitting and sewing with my Grandmother. Many years later, as an undergraduate, I found myself in India on a program to study Indian Art and Architecture. I had gone many times to fabric stores, to pick up material, to quilt or sew, though I had never really thought about where or who made that material. In India, textiles were everywhere. Walking down the street, I could see people weaving or dyeing. And I noticed groups of people who wore very similar outfits in order to communicate to which community they belonged. Intrigued, I began to study more closely with a particular group of nomads, recording the elaborately embroidered and appliquéd stitched upon their clothing and quilts. Their desert neighbors were a group of 10th generation natural dyers. I became very curious and wanted to know more. This began my 15 year study of natural dyeing and ultimately led to my business, A Verb for Keeping Warm, and my desire to write a book about natural dyeing. I also love to cook. And have been quite enamored with the plethora of cookbooks available and encouraged by the amount of people who have taught themselves to cook in their homes. I attribute this to the beauty of the photography and explanation of techniques. So I wanted my book to have a similar feel. There are 20 projects which I think of as 20 dishes, each with a series of photographs to entice and to teach. Hoping that will draw the reader in and try natural dyeing. It is the cooking of the fiber world.
Photo via A Verb for Keeping Warm
What kind of trends are you seeing in the world of fabric dyeing right now?
Natural dyeing is very much on trend right now. People are fascinated with walking into their garden or the woods to try dyeing with plants they find. Natural dyeing can be a another way to interact with nature. Also, there is a huge trend in muted colors and neutrals. Resist dyeing is also very popular – the act of applying pressure to the fabric (or yarn), so that the dye can not reach the fabric, thus, it resists the dye. Patterns upon fabric can be made this way. There are eight projects in my book which use this technique.
Why do you think dyeing fabric with natural ingredients and components is so appealing to people?
I think there is a big movement right now to implore one’s artistic side, and I think a lot of that movement is to consider the path one walks. I think Instagram, and its popularity, is a good example of how people want and try to convey their experiences and beauty in their everyday life. Using nature, especially foraged and found nature, can be another way to interact with the natural world, and to extract color from it, and dye with it, instantly connects the dyer, and their cloth to that plant. I also think there is an element of discovery and endless possibilities which is enticing. There are so many ways to practice natural dyeing, there is room for so many different types of practices, exploration, and as a medium for expression.
Is there one ingredient/substance/etc. that you tried to turn into dye that either didn’t work like you had hoped it would OR produced surprising results?
Sure, I’ve experimented with black beans, beets, red cabbage, raspberries, and blackberries, and I don’t think it went that well. The color from these items faded very fast and quickly changed to shades of brown. I have found that the dyes I’ve listed in my book are steadfast and have a wide range of colors.
What’s next for you?
In 2016, we are leading a natural-dye-a-long. Most likely this will take place through the Verb blog and Instagram account. The Modern Natural Dyer will be the guide – as we work through projects in the book and explore various techniques. I am so excited to see how people use this book and to learn about what they make. We have developed a series of kits to go with the projects in the book. We plan to release a few more of those over the next year. Also in 2016, I am releasing three videos on Creativebug – teaching people how to use natural dyes and indigo, to help people get a sense of the physical process. Other than that, we are involved in a longterm project of sourcing local wool and milling it into yarn and growing dye plants. This fall will mark the first time Verb will have achieved an entire rainbow of colors all made from locally grown dyes – which can be found upon three different yarn bases all made from 100% local wool. It feels great to support local farmers!
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