Category dyeing

Dyeing with Lobster Mushrooms

Courtenay-based fibre artist and mushroom forager Amy Crook brings us another great tutorial on dyeing with materials we can find in our Fibreshed region. This time, she explores lobster mushrooms and generoulsly shares some tips and tricks for getting good…

Dye and Soap from Horse Chestnuts

horse chestnut conkers and husks on a black slate table.

Did you know that a common ornamental tree can be used both as a dye and as a scouring agent? VIF member Bobbie Williams has been experimenting with using materials she finds on her daily walks. Read about horse chestnuts…

Dyeing wool with Tansy

a pile of tansy with bright yellow flowers and lacy green leaves on a wood deck

While I do love the natural whites, greys, and browns of undyed fibre, sometimes I like to add some colour. In this piece, Amy Crook gives us an overview of how to dye fibre with a common roadside weed –…

Salish Sea Sukomo – Adventures with Indigo

Blue rubbermaid tote containing a burlap sack with fermented green leaves of Japanese Indigo / Persicaria tinctoria for a Sukomo vat.

I hope you enjoy this essay from textile artist Yarrow Koontz on her explorations with indigo dyeing with plants she has grown on Gabriola. She’s now experimenting with the Sukomo method for using Persicaria tinctoria (Japanese Indigo) – a method…