Experience the joy of growing dye flowers and indigo no matter how little space you have, whether it’s a window box, balcony or garden. Find out how common garden flowers like marigold, cosmos and many others can be used to dye fabric in a variety of incredible colors and patterns.

Have you’ve thought about trying natural dyeing but you’re worried the colors might fade? Perhaps you’re put off by special equipment you might need. This book demystifies the process and will help you get started in the simplest way.

Create beautiful unique textiles while also connecting with nature on a deeper level through the art of natural dyeing. This craft is a wonderful way to destress and relax, it encourages mindfulness, and is a beautiful way to tap into your innate creativity.

Here’s what’s included:

how to start gardening if you’ve never done it before
no-dig gardening methods
starting seeds indoors vs direct sowing in the ground
how to grow, harvest and dye with 9 different dye plants
these plants are covered: Japanese indigo, Hopi Black Dye sunflower, French marigold, African marigold, dyer’s chamomile, coreopsis, sulphur cosmos, purple pincushion, hollyhock (and a couple of other bonus types of cosmos)
harvesting & drying flowers
saving seeds & cross-pollination
dyeing projects for your homegrown flowers
how to make patterns on cloth
bundle dyeing, flower hammering, immersion dyeing (in a dye pot), darkening & painting with iron, modifying the pH of dye
different recipes for silk and plant fibres
how to test colour fastness on fabric (i.e. how long the dye lasts)
where to buy dried flowers if you just can’t wait to grow your own!
where to buy seeds (worldwide)

Rebecca Desnos is a natural dye artist author and educator.
She specializes in making colours from wild, foraged and homegrown plants.

She's a mother of three who lives in the south west of the UK. If you’re from elsewhere in the world, her methods and recipes will still work for you. You have your own unique selection of local dyes to try and my books will help you get started.

Over a decade ago, her eyes were opened to the toxic chemicals that can be found in many everyday items – even clothing. Soon after this, I began dyeing my own healthy, non toxic clothes with plants. Along the way, I fell in love with the incredible range of colours and it’s been a beautiful journey of exploring the art of botanical colour.

In 2016, I started writing and self-publishing books and magazines, and it turns out that I love making books just as much as I enjoy natural dyeing.

Softcover 136 Pages 2023