When in bookshops, I always head toward the art/craft section. More often than not, I don’t buy anything, but it’s good when lacking in inspiration. Whilst in Devon, I bucked my usual trend of not getting anything and bought a book called Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook.

As the title describes, this is basically a book which tells you about dyeing fabrics & fibres usually natural sources. Fruits, flowers, leaves, wood… you get the idea.

Dyeing is a traditional craft that anyone can get involved in at any age … This informative book demonstrates how easy and exciting it is to make your own dye baths and dye your own materials.

What really interested me about it was the fact that it was describing a more natural (and I assume better for the environment because fewer chemicals would be used) way of colouring fabric. Of course, using plants is nothing new and people have been dyeing fabric and fibres for hundreds of years using natural methods! It’s just a little refreshing to read and be told methods and such.

The book even shows you how to clean and prepare your fabric/fibre prior to use, including how to make the colour stay for longer (using something called a mordant). It looks super duper simple to do and I intend to test some out during my summer holiday, so I’ll report back on the results. For some suggestions, materials may cost a little more or be difficult to obtain, but from the looks of it, pretty much anything can be used to create colour. I thoroughly recommend the book, especially if you’re interested in dyeing or just want to experiment with something different.