Flashback: Natural Dyeing 101

Master fiber spinner and natural dyeing wizard Judith Lange shared her wealth of knowledge with us back in Volume 04. Judith lives on her farm in Sonoma County, raises her own sheep and goats, spins her own harvested fibers, and dyes them stunning colors using only nature’s bounty right there in her on-site workshop. Pictured above are a mother and daughter duo of Judith’s angora goats.
There’s nothing quite like learning a traditional skill like natural dyeing from someone with a lifetime of experience, and that is what this 101 feature offers. Judith walks you through the basics of dyeing, teaching you how to dye wool using the ubiquitous onionskin. She provides a catalog of basic mordants you can use to help set and intensify the colors. It’s truly amazing how many shades you can get just from humble onion skins. Here is a little example from the article:

Another beautiful offering of the article is a window into this inspirational crafters farm and workshop. Here is a photo of the lovely Judith Lange outside of our headquarters:

Check out a few pages of the article in our Digital Edition and then pick up your copy of Volume 04 in the Maker Shed!