This little book, Nature’s Colours: A Guide to Western Canadian Dye Plants, is developing quite a history. My testing of native plants for dye purposes began in the mid 1970s. Many plants were tested and the result recorded. It led to my application to Canada Council, and the successful awarding of an Explorations Grant in 1981. The book remained unpublished until early 2002, after I made a New Year’s Resolution to finish all unfinished projects. A few copes of the book were printed, but being a new author, I was not familiar with the marketing of books, so the book did not go far.
A revival of interest in nature dyeing in recent years has resulted in this updated edition of Nature’s Colours. The addition of colour photos will help greatly in the correct identification of the plants used. The photos have been provided by Neil Miller, who has photographed extensively the plant and animal life of Central Alberta.
“Carol has done the work in this beautiful treasure of research, sharing the botanical alchemy of colour, recipes and plant identification. She shares her humour, while weaving her passion for curiosity, nature, fibre and connection. As a fibre artist I will never be lost for colour with Carol’s book on hand.” – Bonny Macnab, Fibre Artist
Neighbour and artist, Gail Rydman, knows she was lucky to receive yarn when Carol was clearing out some dyed sample remainders.
“Surprisingly rich, wholly harmonious colours derived from natural sources like rhubarb produce yarn unlike anything that uses mass-produced dyes concocted in laboratories! My scarf is unique and warm in ways that cannot be duplicated, or…maybe Carol’s book makes duplication possible…” – Gail Rydman
“I have interacted with numerous fibre artists and porcupine quill workers, over the last ten years, who have talked about experimenting with local plants to hand-dye their wool or quills. They would lament on the lack of resources to guide them. Familiar with Carol’s research and thorough experimentation on how to dye using Alberta plants, I always told people that the work has been done but found myself empty handed as this resource was hard to find. The time has come for this treasure to be unveiled, once again, for a new generation.” – Lucie Heins, B.Sc. M.A. Quilt Scholar
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Plants in the Boreal Region: Sketches and Paintings(Opens in a new browser tab)
1 review for Nature’s Colours