As a knitter, spinner, crocheter and sewist who has done just a bit of dyeing at home, I was very interested in this book. The reader gets not only the history and progression of dyeing, but a section on how to do some natural dyeing yourself.

Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I picked up this book because I am very curious and interested in the natural dye process and history. The types of plants and materials used is something I've been doing research on a lot lately, and this book popped up at the right time.

I did really enjoy the history portions and learned a lot of fun facts. Since I'm an Anglophile at heart I know the time periods, but realized when I was talking to my husband not everyone just knows when the Regency Era is in history. I hadn't even realized there were no dates until I was showing him something.

The book was misleading as it wasn't a complete history of dye, but moreso the history of how colors made it's way to the Europe, specifically the UK. It's essentially a very white history of dye. Again I learned some information, but was left wanting.

The artist interviews were enjoyable, but I was having to stop to look up their social media since the pictures of their work wasn't included. And then nothing was shown until the end after reading other sections of the book.

There was some serious structure and layout problems with this book. Sometimes entire pages were a single unbroken paragraph and the lack of photos really hampered the experience. This is the type of book that NEEDED pictures throughout and the handful at the back didn't really keep my interest long having just finished everything else. Having more botanical photography of dye plants would have made the experience much better.

I'm glad I read it, and got more information. I will definitely look up some of the materials the author used as reference to get more comprehensive information.

Thank you NetGalley and Lynn Huggins-Cooper for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review!

I love experimenting with dye. For years now I have got some fabulous results from eco dyeing in Australia with native trees, I have use other plants too, but they are hard to source, and/or grow in our climate. Therefore to read this book with the many artisans interviews talking about their experience with dye was fabulous,
I also found the history of dyes through the ages extremely informative and very interesting. We take color in fabric and wool so much for granted these day, it is very sobering to read about it first uses.
Just a word for people who expect a book full of color examples, there isn't much, but the information in worth many pictures - besides dyeing color from plants is almost impossible to copy, so create your own color.

1 star.

I am a botanical dyer (mainly of fabric, but also of wool yarns, secondhand clothing and handmade soaps), as well as a sewist, knitter, potter and enthusiastic maker. I was so excited to find this book, as my knowledge of botanical dyes is primarily limited to the technical how-to, rather than their rich history. I also was excited to know that the book is separated into the following sections: a detailed history of botanical and other dyes, interviews with various dye-artisans, a dying experiment to try, and finally helpful hints on how to begin your own dye-plants garden.

Unfortunately, this book was a HUGE disappointment.

DYE HISTORY SECTION:
First, I really wish that it had been made evident that the history being looked at is primarily from a UK perspective, with dabblings into various other European countries whenever it suited. India, Asia and Central+South America were basically only mentioned as sources for imports, as well as places impacted by wastewater and chemical runoff in modern fast fashion. Though, in all honesty, this is where the vast majority of the history actually IS. In this vastly global day and age, if you are looking at history from a primarily Eurocentric or single-country perspective, you are missing so much. This perspective was incredibly disappointing and should have been made clear in the book's title and/or synopsis.

Second, the author generally assumes that the reader will know “such and such era”. For those of us that grew up outside of the UK (and generally just as a point of good form), the date ranges should have been labelled for each mentioned era.

Also disappointing were the organization and penmanship of this resource. The history section of the book itself is divided by wide swaths of time. But as many of the same dye materials are used today as were used all the way back to ancient times, the author keeps repeating what colours each makes over and over again, chapter after chapter. It reads like a term essay that had to be of a certain length. There are interesting tidbits on ways to further alter colours with changes in pH, iron, the different use of mordants and so on, included in certain areas but not others, with no explanation as to why. Plus, the history itself, despite being separated into sections of time, jumps all over the place (both literally and figuratively). Without warning or segway, the text jumps between disparate subjects.

Further, it is obvious to me that the author has (at best) an intermediate understanding of actually botanically dying and very little understanding of the chemistry or even what mordants actually do. For the record, mordants don't just fix the botanical colour to a certain fibre - they are not a "glue". They actually form a complex chemical reaction with the dye stuff, which often makes that colour light- and wash-fast, but they can also substantially change the original colour as well. There is a huge difference.

ARTIST INTERVIEW SECTION:
I did like that the author chose to interview artisans who ultimately use botanical dying on different mediums and for different reasons. Again, it would have been even better if there would have been people from all different walks of life. Additionally, the artist interviews that follow the history section would have been a LOT more interesting if there was a photo of each artist, as well as several examples of their work. Simply reading about their dying was lackluster without photos. I had a really hard time caring about this section without any photos. I would rather just go to their social media accounts and SEE what they are doing.

AT-HOME ECO PRINTING PROJECT:
Ugh! The best way to get folks super interested in a specific craft is to give them the best possible opportunity to make something absolutely incredible. As far as I am concerned, the absolutely most important steps in botanical dying of any kind is (1) scouring and (2) mordanting. These processes are different depending on whether or not the fabric you are using is protein (wools, silks) or cellulose (linen, cotton), and acrylic/polyester (or a blend thereof) can absolutely NOT be used. None of this is mentioned. The author specifies that this experiment should be done with a wool or silk fabric, but not that it cannot be a blend or why. She does not mention that different mordants can be used, why she is using Alum or that there are different kinds of Alum and that they each have their pros and cons. The author does state that a stainless steel pot is to be used, but not how aluminum or copper pots can chemically interfere with the entire process. Perhaps the author is attempting to keep this section simple, but given the information provided up to this point, I am more inclined to think that the author does not really deeply know this subject. I am sure that she is great at her specific craft, but the world of botanical dying is much more complex, technical, and global than she seems to have a grasp on.

DYE PLANT GARDEN SECTION:
I have no idea why the author chose these few plants to highlight - perhaps they are what she has experience growing or has wanted to grow? This section should have been thoroughly researched, greatly expanded and made useful to growers around the world or cut entirely. As someone in Canada, an English gardener's experience means very little to nothing to me. Further, this section should have included photos (at very least), or botanical illustrations (better), plus notes on growing, climate and how to harvest and process to get the best colours. Again, not all of the information in this section is accurate (ie. Madder roots should NOT be harvested in their second year of growth - but instead be left to grow until at least their 5th year of growth - they do not produce good colour otherwise). Honestly, this section was basically a badly put-together, barely researched, page that reminded me of an Instagram post from someone just starting out in this field. I have been growing dye plants and medicinal herbs for only three years, and I know that there is so much more for me to know regarding this field of study. Authors knowing even less and writing books with mis-information and only partial bits of what is actually needed to know really bother me. This section took my rating from two stars down to one.

PHOTOS:
There are a handful collected at the end of the book. I am not sure if this is how the book plans to be published or not, but it is a very bad idea. Botanical dying is all about the different colours that are achievable on different natural cloths and fibres. It is a world of absolute beauty and workmanship - and one that can only really be fully appreciated in full colour. Frankly, without amazing photos scattered throughout, I wouldn't even consider buying this book.

This could have been a MUCH better book if:
(1) the author spent a LOT more time actually researching and learning about the subject (especially the chemical and technical aspects of the trade, as well as the full global history),
(2) there had been an introductory section (especially full of relevant photographs) on what colours are achievable with which materials, followed by the history (to avoid repeating the exact same information again and again each chapter),
(3) the history actually included more than just a UK/European perspective - the importers are the LEAST interesting part of this industry and Euro/whitewashed history is something that we all need to stop publishing,
(4) the author didn’t assume the reader could attach date ranges to the named eras,
(5) the writing didn’t sound like an unedited blog post,
(6) the entire book was filled with beautiful, colourful photographs to illustrate both what is being said and display the full range of colourful possibilities,
(7) the artisan interviews also contained photos of both the artisans themselves, their respective studio spaces and what their wares look like (minimum three photos per interview),
(8) the dye-plant gardening section noted which bio-climatic area ranges that each of the plants lived in, full botanical illustrations of each plant and which part makes the dye stuff, how it is to be harvested and processed - at MINIMUM.

So, as someone who absolutely adores this subject matter, I highly recommend skipping this book in favour of others that are better written and contain much better information. I recently took an intensive botanical dying course from one of the forerunners in this field that contained more off-hand and historical facts than this book (and that wasn’t the focus at all). I also highly recommend learning ANY craft you are excited about from those that have thorough and lengthy experience in that field.

I am very grateful to the author Lynn Huggins-Cooper, the publisher Pen & Sword, and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my (possibly much TOO) honest review.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This was an interesting book if you are interested in the history of traditional dying. A large portion of this book was devoted to the history by era, of traditional dying, methods, and materials, as well as the social meaning/impacts, and even the mythology. As a lover of historical trivia and the like, and a person who loves to learn and make things by hand, I did appreciate the history.

Then a large section was devoted a interviews with various artisans and what influenced their craft. Interesting, but not what I was expecting.

Towards the latter 20% of the book, there is a small section on trying eco-dying at home, planning your own dye garden, then a section of various suppliers. There were no graphic references until the end of the book, with a variety of photos various dyed yarns, wools, materials, projects with eco dying.

What I was hoping for and expecting was more a graphic guide on how to do more traditional dying and eco-dying. The history is appreciated, but what I would have liked is more hands on action details, and how-tos, preferably with graphic step by step instructions and inspiration. Perhaps with hints on how to maintain the colour fastness, and maintenance of projects, or dying of different materials (paper, versus wool, versus different fabrics, etc. Art pieces, versus journals, versus wearables, etc).

So a bit disappointed in the lack of the latter.

3 stars out of 5 and that is because I did enjoy the historical aspects, despite the disappointment in the relative lack of instructional information.

I weave so use a lot of yarn! I’m interested in doing natural dyeing and this book really did cover the basics while also tempering your expectations on what the final project will actually look like.

The history of natural dyeing was interesting as were the interviews with dyers.

Nice list of sources. The instructions were oddly brief but seemed ok.

This is a thorough and interesting book on the history of natural dyes. It goes through every time period and then has an extensive interview section with artisans who do traditional dyeing, with their advice and experiences and links to their blogs and social media connections. The end has a brief color photo section of naturally dyed yarns, fabrics and creations. I would have liked to have seen photos throughout the book instead of just at the end, but it was an interesting book. Note that there is basic information about how to try it at home at the end and basic info on plants to grow for a natural dye garden, but mostly this is a history book and not a DIY book.

I appreciate the notes throughout about the many health risks that have been associated with natural dyes, both in history and today, and the comments from artists about the environmental toll that natural dyeing can take.

An interesting resource. Recommended for anyone curious about the topic.

I read a digital ARC of this book for review.

Traditional Dyeing is a broad ranging historical survey and informational guide to working with dye materials and techniques for colouring fabric and fibres written by Lynn Huggins-Cooper. Due out 30th April 2022 from Pen & Sword, it's 176 pages and will be available in paperback format.
This is the newest book in the Heritage Crafts series which cover many traditional and heritage subjects such as leatherworking and tanning, dyeing, fibre crafts, felting, and others which are in danger of being lost forever. This book makes a nice addition to the series and provides a surprisingly comprehensive look at dyeing as both a practical and decorative skill.

The material is presented in chronological chapters with history from ancient times to the modern day. With such a massive timeline, the coverage is brief for each time period, but provides a lot of tantalizing glimpses to follow up later. The last chapters include interviews with several different individual artisans and collectives. The format provides the same questions to each interviewee and it's interesting to see how they came to their craft from often disparate origins, cultures, and geographical locations but their enthusiasm and respect is shared by all of them.

The photography is sparse and mostly confined to a gallery chapter at the end of the book, but the included pictures are beautifully clear and illustrative. There is a short general tutorial (for direct printing on fabric with botanicals), short discussion of plants which are suited to a dye garden, as well as a wealth of links provided (slanted toward readers in the UK) in the form of a solid bibliography and links section to stockists and teachers. This would make a superlative library selection for a guild or shop, as well as for any crafter's home library.

This is a good, accessible, clearly written introduction the materials, history, and techniques in dyeing. The series as a whole would be superlative for library acquisition, maker's groups, homesteaders, historical re-enactors, and similar uses. The inspiration gallery is full of gorgeous photos.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A brief history on the endangered craft of Traditional Dyeing and where certain colours originated- whether in nature or in myth. But not all nature is pleasant. The dyes could come from snails, beetles, or even urine. In later days, alchemical processes yielded new colours.

Could have used some pictures