After listening to Rebecca Burgess speak on a podcast about her passion for natural textiles and regenerative systems, I knew I had to take a look at her book, Harvesting Color.
You’ll find lots of glorious photos and inspiring writings about indigenous plants, fiber traditions, and more. If you’re interested in dyeing natural fibers with dyestuff found growing in North America, this is definitely one to add to your collection.
While this is not an all-inclusive, comprehensive guide to dyeing, it definitely serves as a great jumping point for those who may want to do more in-depth research. I love the snippets of information about things like Navajo dye tradition and different types of wool and sheep. And most of the plants Burgess explores are indigenous to North America, which I also love!
The book’s introduction touches on the general history of natural dyes and progression toward synthetics, as well as looking at Burgess’ personal journey in rediscovering traditional textile processes and materials.
Then, it’s divided into two parts; their first part is a general section about making dye, materials needed, gathering and gardening plants, and so on. The second part is where Burgess provides individual plant profiles, categorized by season, and discusses what region they’re grown in, how and where to source them, how to dye with them, common uses, historical information, and folklore associated with each plant.
Finally, there’s a directory in the back listing different shops by state. These are places where you can find either dye materials, tools, equipment, plants, seeds, cloth and fiber, or more information.
One section I was particularly excited to see was about how to dye with pokeberry, a native plant that grows wild in my area. Apparently, successfully dyeing with pokeberry has, in the past, required a days-long process of fermenting in a hollowed pumpkin. Carol Leigh, a midwest weaver who has been experimenting with the plant, shares her method in the book. I gave Leigh’s method a try, only very loosely following her instructions, and the result was still stunning!
I definitely recommend giving this book a read. If you’re strictly interested in the chemical processes and recipes for dyeing, it may not appeal to you, but if you appreciate more of a cultural context around plants and fiber, this is a real gem.
