Harvesting Color by Rebecca Burgess

Beautiful natural dyes from plants found in the wild or grown in your own backyard.

Harvesting Color presents the entire process of infusing your life with color--finding the right plants, harvesting them at the best time, transforming the crop into beautiful dye, and finally, marrying pigment to fiber.

In this beautiful book, Rebecca Burgess showcases three dozen common plants that yield striking hues.  Citing fascinating botanical lore, she demystifies the process of recognizing each plant in the wild.  For those who can grow themselves, she details when to sow the seed and how to nurture the plant.  

To get you started, a comprehensive section on equipment and techniques presents all you need to make your own dyes at home.  A master dye recipe serves as the foundation for your work.  Step-by-step instructions explain any custom-tailored variations for each of thirty-six plants.  Maps display the range of each species over the United States and Canada.

Harvesting Color is organized seasonally according to when a dye plant is best harvested.  Burgess highlights craftspeople around the country who keep the traditions of handmade natural dyes alive.  She also explains the etiquette of foraging on both public and privately owned land.

Whether you're a crafter or a botanist, an artist or a DIYer eager for a new challenge, a gardener or a textile designer, Harvesting Color will inspire you.  The plants and the colors around you will never look the same again.

Paperback.