Chris McLaughlin - A Garden to Dye For: How to Use Plants from the Garden to Create Natural Colors for Fabrics & Fibers

Thank you, Chris McLaughlin, for showing us one more aha reason to love and use plants to improve our lives. In A Garden to Dye For, Chris guides us like a trusted friend with her fun and informative style.

Joe Lampl, Executive Producer & Host: Growing a Greener World

You CAN do it all garden, dye, create and Chris will show you how! Youll start to see your garden in a whole new light as you harvest armfuls of cosmos and hollyhocks or bushels of onions and cabbage yes, cabbage to create striking dyes for your fabrics and fibers!

Niki Jabbour, author of Groundbreaking Food Gardens

As an avid gardener, Im always looking for new ways to use and enjoy the plants in my garden. A Garden to Dye For is a breath of fresh air, filled with creative project ideas for all ages, detailed recipes, helpful hints and inspiring photography.

Rebecca Sweet, author of Refresh Your Garden Design with Color, Texture and Form

This book takes our yearning for things created via natural and organic processes and makes it easy to fall in love. One of my favorite things about A Garden to Dye For is that, as someone who has never considered dyeing my own yarns, Christine McLaughlin suddenly makes me REALLY, REALLY want to try it!

Christina Salwitz The Personal Garden Coach, co-author of Fine Foliage

Christine McLaughlin is a natural dye enabler a knowledgeable friend filled with contagious passion and enthusiasm. She has enticed this dreamer to take the natural dyeing plunge and truly learn to appreciate plants in a whole new way.

Miriam Goldberger, author of Taming Wildflowers

Im dyeing to get started now on one of the great uses of plants. Chris colorful writing style makes learning to garden for natural dyes easy and fun!

Jessi Bloom, author of Free-Range Chicken Gardens

Sage advice on natural dyes from a master gardener who knows her plants and fibers. Chris McLaughlin is an encouraging voice for all of us who love our gardens, but never attempted dyeing our clothes or other fibers. I want to try my hand at turning my own garden into one to dye for.

Dee Nash, author of The 20-30 Something Garden Guide

This rainbow-covered book brims and simmers with colors, ideas, projects (both indoors and out), a floral/herbal/vegetable abecedarian, and garden plans. With this book youll be able to grow your own palette of custom, natural, untainted colors. Who could ask for more?

Sharon Lovejoy, author of Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots

How to Use Plants from the Garden to Create Natural Colors for
Fabrics and Fibers

Chris McLaughlin

A Garden to Dye For

How to Use Plants from the Garden to Create Natural Colors for Fabrics & Fibers

Copyright 2014 by Chris McLaughlin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9855622-8-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013941489

CIP information available upon request

First Edition, 2014

St. Lynns Press . POB 18680 . Pittsburgh, PA 15236 . 412.466.0790 . www.stlynnspress.com

Book designHolly Rosborough

EditorCatherine Dees

Photo credits:

Deborah Lee: Front cover, pages .

All other photos by the author.

Garden illustrations on pages Jenny Nybro Peterson

Printed in Canada

On certified FSC recycled paper using soy-based inks

This title and all of St. Lynns Press books may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For information please write:

Special Markets Department . St. Lynns Press . POB 18680 . Pittsburgh, PA 15236

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For all of my parents ~
both here on Earth and waiting in heaven.

In loving memory of

GAYNELLE MCLAUGHLIN

1929 2014

Ive always thought it best to let people know what theyre getting into from the outset. After wading knee-deep into the subject of plants as they apply to natural dyes, I realized that I didnt know any other gardeners who used their plants in this way; nor was there much talk about the topic in the gardening circles. Its the fiber artists who were very savvy about all kinds of dyeing techniques, whether natural or synthetic.

My plan for this book is to bridge the gap between mainstream gardeners and the world of hand crafters. Its written solely from the perspective of a plant, animal and fiber lover, experimenter, and student of the arts.

Of course, there are some great books out there on using botanical dyes. Ive read them and enjoyed them. So why am I writing this one? Because I feel that none of the other books speaks directly to those who are already growing these dye plants: the gardeners! The surprising truth is, most of us have the natural materials to color other parts of our lives waiting patiently in our cottage, cutting, vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens. We may not be aware of the colorful bounty in our own backyards. More than that, we may not know what to do with it, and we could use a little friendly help getting started.

I wanted to write a book that included simple natural dye techniques, allowing the reader to gain confidence and move on to the next level. Ive found that its much easier to let yourself explore if you have at least a few good recipes under your belt.

The goal, therefore, is not to attempt to share every scientific formula that includes every possible outcome. Instead, I want to encourage every person who picks up this book to try dyeing with plants.

Even if its just once.

So heres what I want you to know about this little dyers book:

This is a book for plant lovers.

This is a book for people who like to create.

This is a book for people who like surprises.

This is a book for experimenters.

This is a book for people who like to open doors to something much, much bigger.

What this book is not:

This is not a dyers bible.

This is not a book for people looking to acquire a science degree. (Its especially not that)

This is not a chemistry book.

You may also like to know this: I have zero background in science.