Dye Plants and Dyeing

by John & Margaret Cannon
$19.89 CDN
$19.95 US
128pgs, softcover
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Category: spinning books

In the Author's Words....
Dye Plants and Dyeing
"As professional botanists, we have found satisfaction in combining the use of scientific data with the production of beautiful and subtle colours; this book is the result of an attempt to bring together these two interests. Many craft books presently available provide excellent instructions on practical dyeing with natural materials, but are generally lacking in botanical information on the plants involved. The interest and enjoyment of many craft dyers can be greatly enhanced by knowing more about the materials they are using.

Unless otherwise stated, all the results reported in the text come from our own experiments, and the colour samples with the drawings have been matched with these. We have kept the plant descriptions as simple as possible and for those unfamiliar with botanical terms we have provided a short glossary. We have also included some coverage of the biochemistry of plant pigments, since the dyestuffs produced by plants are no less 'chemical' than those used by modern industry.

We very much hope that dyers will find their work stimulated by a better understanding of the plant materials they are using and that botanists wil find greater interest in the practical uses of these plants." pg 9

From the back cover.....
Dye Plants and Dyeing
"All who work with fibre crafts, as well as botanists, whether amateur or professional, will welcome this clear account of a wide range of plants from which natural dyes can be obtained. John and Margaret Cannon, both professional botanists, have selected forty-eight plants from different parts of the world and describe the structure and cultivation of each, its history as a dye source and the best method for its use based on their own experiments.

Most well-known dye plants are included, among them elderberry, henna, indigo, madder and saffron, and each plant is beautifully illustrated by Gretel Dalby-Quenet, a skilled botanical artist, in a full-page painting that also shows the colours the plant can yield. John Cannon was Keeper of Botany at the Natural History Museum, London, until 1990. Margaret Cannon was a botanical researcher at the same museum. She is now a craftworker specializing in dyeing, spinning and weaving."

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Canadian currency Dye Plants and Dyeing $19.89	US currency Dye Plants and Dyeing $19.95