I am still buzzing a bit from last week. I spent 6 days with two groups of students in The Netherlands teaching what I love so much: natural dyes and botanical printing. Let me start with the location. I was born and raised in Amersfoort, where my family lived and still does, for many generations. The Koppelpoort is a famous landmark, and we had the studio exactly in the building next to it: Cotton Printing Studio 'De Volmolen". In the left picture, you can see the Koppelpoort on the right side and the Volmolen is the building on the left with the two red roofs. The workshop where we held th ..read more

I am still buzzing a bit from last week. I spent 6 days with two groups of students in The Netherlands teaching what I love so much: natural dyes and botanical printing. Let me start with the location. I was born and raised in Amersfoort, where my family lived and still does, for many generations. The Koppelpoort is a famous landmark, and we had the studio exactly in the building next to it: Cotton Printing Studio 'De Volmolen". In the left picture, you can see the Koppelpoort on the right side and the Volmolen is the building on the left with the two red roofs. The workshop where we held th ..read more

I am still buzzing a bit from last week. I spent 6 days with two groups of students in The Netherlands teaching what I love so much: natural dyes and botanical printing. Let me start with the location. I was born and raised in Amersfoort, where my family lived and still does, for many generations. The Koppelpoort is a famous landmark, and we had the studio exactly in the building next to it: Cotton Printing Studio 'De Volmolen". In the left picture, you can see the Koppelpoort on the right side and the Volmolen is the building on the left with the two red roofs. The workshop where we held th ..read more

When I discovered aluminum triformate, it was exactly what I had been looking for: A cold process, no heating needed, and the possibility to reuse the mordant multiple times. Furthermore, the mordant leftovers can be easily disposed of and pose no particular issues for the environment. Alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) in itself as a mordant is not a good fit for many types of fabrics. The cellulose fibers do not get mordanted very well, and wool tends to get sticky. The alternative is alum/soda ash, but that is not good for wool either. The consensus so far was that aluminum acetate was the ..read more

Toen ik aluminiumtriformaat ontdekte, was dit precies wat ik zocht: Een koud proces, geen hitte nodig en de mogelijkheid om het beitsmiddel meerdere keren te gebruiken. Bovendien kunnen de beits resten gemakkelijk worden weggegooid en vormen ze geen bijzondere problemen voor het milieu. Aluin (kaliumaluminiumsulfaat) is op zichzelf als beitsmiddel niet geschikt voor veel soorten stoffen. De cellulosevezels worden niet zo goed gebeitst ('pakt' niet) en wol heeft de neiging plakkerig te worden. Het alternatief is aluin/natriumcarbonaat, maar ook dat is niet goed voor wol. De consensus tot nu to ..read more

When I discovered aluminum triformate, it was exactly what I had been looking for: A cold process, no heating needed, and the possibility to reuse the mordant multiple times. Furthermore, the mordant leftovers can be easily disposed of and pose no particular issues for the environment. Alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) in itself as a mordant is not a good fit for many types of fabrics. The cellulose fibers do not get mordanted very well, and wool tends to get sticky. The alternative is alum/soda ash, but that is not good for wool either. The consensus so far was that aluminum acetate was the ..read more

When I discovered aluminum triformate, it was exactly what I had been looking for: A cold process, no heating needed, and the possibility to reuse the mordant multiple times. Furthermore, the mordant leftovers can be easily disposed of and pose no particular issues for the environment. Alum (potassium aluminium sulfate) in itself as a mordant is not a good fit for many types of fabrics. The cellulose fibers do not get mordanted very well, and wool tends to get sticky. The alternative is alum/soda ash, but that is not good for wool either. The consensus so far was that aluminum acetate was the ..read more

Sukumo indigo holds a special place as a time-honored dyeing technique. Derived from the leaves of the Polygonum tinctorium plant, Sukumo indigo has been employed for centuries to produce rich, vibrant hues that adorn textiles rich with history and culture. Sukumo indigo has deep roots in Japanese culture. The technique is closely associated with Awa, the fertile region in Tokushima Prefecture, where indigo cultivation and dyeing have been practiced for generations. The name "Sukumo"  すくも - sukumo - means dye made of fermented indigo leaves. Aizome 藍染め means Indigo Dye. The Indigo Plant ..read more

Sukumo indigo holds a special place as a time-honored dyeing technique. Derived from the leaves of the Polygonum tinctorium plant, Sukumo indigo has been employed for centuries to produce rich, vibrant hues that adorn textiles rich with history and culture. Sukumo indigo has deep roots in Japanese culture. The technique is closely associated with Awa, the fertile region in Tokushima Prefecture, where indigo cultivation and dyeing have been practiced for generations. The name "Sukumo"  すくも - sukumo - means dye made of fermented indigo leaves. Aizome 藍染め means Indigo Dye. The Indigo Plant ..read more

Sukumo indigo holds a special place as a time-honored dyeing technique. Derived from the leaves of the Polygonum tinctorium plant, Sukumo indigo has been employed for centuries to produce rich, vibrant hues that adorn textiles rich with history and culture. Sukumo indigo has deep roots in Japanese culture. The technique is closely associated with Awa, the fertile region in Tokushima Prefecture, where indigo cultivation and dyeing have been practiced for generations. The name "Sukumo"  すくも - sukumo - means dye made of fermented indigo leaves. Aizome 藍染め means Indigo Dye. The Indigo Plant ..read more