b o t a n i c a l
e c o - d y e i n g
where art meets plants
what is botanical eco-dyeing?
Botanical dyeing is one of the oldest methods of naturally dyeing fabric and is still used across the globe today. It is the process of using the natural dyes that are extracted from earth’s sources to reveal beautiful colours and prints from leaves, flowers, bark, roots as well as fruits and vegetables. Leaving behind sustainable and earth friendly colours, shades and prints on textiles that are kind to all life on earth.
mother, maker
I began this craft form while I was pregnant with our daughter Ariah. When I first began experimenting, I found it to be an enjoyable, slow process, creative outlet that offered playfulness and relaxation as an artist and mother to be. Soon after, I began to grow a passion for the world of eco-dyeing and the sustainable practices it entails.
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Rethinking the way of creating in a more eco-friendly way came with the shock of how many things in the art world are actually toxic. Eco-dyeing has opened so many possibilities with creating, and has inspired me to introduce more eco positive practices as a creative.
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My journey with eco-dyeing has been focused around educating myself on how slow-fashion is kinder to the planet and how much more fun it is to hand-dye and eco print wearable garments that are long lasting, kinder to our bodies, waterways and the earth.
the magic of plants
Artisans have added colour to cloth for thousands of years. It’s a process we see all around us - colours which decorate our clothes and the things we use day to day. The original process entails using natural and sustainable resources that have a low impact on our earth, but mass consumerism has changed this. It’s only been over the last 160 years that synthetic dyes were created, leaving a huge impact on the world as we know. There is an abundance of natural resources we can utilise that are kinder to our planet and our bodies, including natural dyes derived from plants. Eco-dyeing is a practice that is inspiring many creatives to delve deeper into rediscovering the joy of colour through a renewable and non-toxic process.
when we look around us,
that is where we can see the
potential to create is endless.
a dry leaf,
an onion skin,
a rusty nail.
it’s amazing what you can make with
a little bit of imagination