Nature is bursting with radiant colors as far as the eye can see and people stop in awe everyday to admire the palette it flaunts to us all. Whether it is from the soil, root, stem or petal, there is beauty in every piece of mother nature and our ancestors have long been tapping into her gorgeous rainbow, using natural dyes from nature to create vibrance in their hand crafted pieces.
So, answer me this:
- Why now do we ignore the stunning array of color that we’ve been given for free to illuminate beauty, only to produce harsh chemical soups?
- Why are we tarnishing the environment and our health for the quickest shade of the day?
- Have we become so desensitised to our industrialised ways that we don’t appreciate the care and love put into a garment that will be captured in photos and shared as memories long after we’re gone?
Natural Dyes from Nature are the Future
We need to tap into our ancient traditions and weave our threads with thought and awareness. It is our duty as eco warriors to ensure that we choose wisely, embrace cultural traditions and carry them forward. Creating a piece of clothing or a textile using only the natural fibers from nature is an incredibly rewarding and valuable trade.
In Rebecca Burges’s book – Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes, she identifies 36 plant dyes that we can use from nature to design pieces with care and thought for the environment. There are literally hundreds of color combinations you can create if you put your imagination into it. If you are scared to do it, attend a natural dye workshop and meet other like minded people that want to help mother nature shine her brightest colors to the world. Or purchase a DIY dye kit. Don’t forget to use organic fabrics in all your creative endeavors to ensure your truly thanking mother nature for her blessed gift.
Did you know that Victorian Organics white cotton eyelet lace children’s clothing can be dyed in your own DIY home project? PFD (prepared for dyeing) fabric is used for the whole garment, and 100% cotton thread is used for stitching. Or you can get white yardage from Victorian Organics to create a project of your own totally from scratch. White is the base for a whole world of color.