This is the place where fabric is transformed into the colors of nature.

I’ve chosen two all-natural dyes, cutch and Himalayan rhubarb, and am experimenting with a palette of golden, rusty browns and dusty rose shades that are created with these dyes with all-cotton muslin, chambray, and linen. Working with plant dyes has several steps in preparing the fabric to absorb the dye successfully and making the color permanent (colorfast) to last through many years of use and washing.

The reward is capturing stunning colors and tones that are rarely found in commercial linens or clothing.

It’s a slow, peaceful and therapeutic experience of going into flow as you stir the pot, watch, wait, rinse, and dry your fabrics, much the same way that it was done for many hundreds of years before commercially-produced dyes became the mainstream method of dyeing fabric.

It’s a fascinating process, and I plan to continue to experiment and expand my color palette with more plant dyes in the months to come.