Indigo Dye | Natural Dying Handbooks | Blue Jeans Dyes

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	The blue dye indigo has been the world's most important dyestuff for almost 5,000 years. Indigo is the first book to cover in detail, at both the local and international level, all aspects of the subject - historical, agricultural, and botanical; chemical and technological commercial and economic; indigo's various uses in textiles and its many sociological, medicinal, folkloric, and other connotations. This volume pays particular attention to indigo's history as a trade commodity, including its commercial exploitation by the European colonial powers. The author examines the different plant sources and compares production and dyeing methods used in different cultures. The various patterning techniques used with indigo on a wide range of textiles are described, as are some uses of the dyestuff in traditional medicine and religious practices. The book also looks at the modern application of indigo, not least its continuing sartorial appeal, particularly in ever-popular blue denim, and its use by textile arts and craftsmen. The book includes 150 color and 50 black/white illustrations. Read more
	A fascinating historical survey and practical application of the oldest natural dye in use today: indigo. Visit cultures that have used this wonderful dye and learn the chemistry of the dyeing process. Meet artisans from around the world and discover their techniques. Filled with recipes, tips, suggestions, projects. 184 pages (44 in color), 80 b/w illus., 6 5/8 x 9 3/8. Read more

	A Handbook of Indigo Dyeing by Vivien Prideaux Read more
	I am new to natural dyeing and found this book to be extremely helpful. I looked at many dyeing books before purchasing this one. Unlike some other books this one gives tons of useful information without getting too technical or overwhelming. Because it is in full-color it also lets you see examples of the colors you can achieve. There are excellent step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos to guide you seamlessly through each process. The book starts out with an introduction to the history of dyeing. It then discusses, choosing equipment and items to dye. Next, testing the water pH, preparing fibers and fixing colors is covered. Making and using mordants is also covered including timesaving tips on how to combine mordanting and dyeing. Conveniently, two charts help you choose the proper mordant and assist. Preparing plants for dyeing follows. The processes for hot, cold and all-in-one dyeing are then demonstrated. A chart including all the dye plants shows you which methods will work best for each one. Special techniques for dyeing with indigo, woad and safflower are covered separately. There is also great advice on experimenting with color and a good explanation of how dyes are absorbed into different fibers. Information on the over 60 dye plants follows. Each one has a picture of the plant, a written description of it and it's color along with information on cultivation, harvesting and the dyeing procedure. A set of color swatches showing color with and without modifiers or mordants is also included. Sometimes even a second set of swatches is shown for different parts of the plant. If you are new to dyeing and want a through, yet easy-to-follow guide to natural dyeing this is definitely the book to get. It hard to imagine with all this information that even a more advance dyer wouldn't find a few helpful tips. Read more
	A newly revised edition of the popular 1994 book, this clear account of plants from which natural dyes can be obtained will be welcomed not only by all who work with fiber arts but also by botanists. The authors have selected 48 plants from different parts of the world and they describe each plant's structure and cultivation, the history of each as a dye source, and the best method for a plant's use based on their own experiments. Most well-known dye plants are discussed, and each plant is beautifully illustrated by Gretel Dalby-Quenet in a full-page painting that shows the colors the plant can yield. Read more
	Rita gives CLEAR instructions on WHAT part of the plant to harvest for which color; which mordants (fixers) and which fibers produce which colors; and what time of the year to harvest the plant. In addition, her color photos of the color outcome are neatly stacked along the right edge, enabling the reader to flip through the book to see the colors. There is also an appendix listing where the reader can get seeds for the plants in the book. Anyone interested in trying GOOD dye plants (almost any plant will give you at least tan) should have this small, well-written and beautifully illustrated book. Rita is one of the best. Read more
	One of a three-volume set, (the others are "The Chemistry of Food Dyes" and "The Chemistry of Vat Dyes") this is an excellent reference volume for novice dyers, students of chemistry, and experienced textile artists alike. It is structured as a handbook for guiding students through classroom exercises to develop their understanding of the physiochemical properties of dyes for woolen fibers. The editor, an award-winning high-school chemistry professor, has an easy-going manner and knowledgeable style that encourage confidence in this challenging subject among lay readers. Read more
	This is an excellent book full of information and history of natural dying. The book goes over the history of natural dying and how it came about and was used by the European Colonists in America. There is a short history of dying during B.C. It then goes on to tell of how each color was introduced and made. This section includes sketches of the plants Indigo, Madder, Annatto and Sumach. The second section of the book goes over color. IT is too bad that there are no color photos in this section. But it details about the variations of color one gets from home dying, and the preparation and equipment one needs to start. The best part of this book, however, is the 52 recipes for dyes made from easily obtainable natural material. The recipes help you to obtain the color you want by equating this much plant plus this much moderant on this much fiber. IT is amazing to see how much the moderant has to do with the final color. There are also charts for top dying. The book doesn't have much in the way of technique or how to prepare different materials, but the recipes take care of this and are worth it. Read more