The Seasonal Color Wheel: A Guide to Natural Dyes Made From Seasonal Foods
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
We’re all about sourcing, prepping, cooking and eating good food here at The Kitchn, yet there’s one area we seldom think about: using food plants as dye. But now that I have the beautiful poster pictured above hanging in my kitchen, I’m inspired to take another look at my food scraps and consider what color they might produce on a t-shirt, or a napkin. Take avocado pits, for instance. Depending on the mordants (used to help fix the color) an avocado pit will produce anything from a pale mauve to a deep grey.
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
The Seasonal Color Wheel was developed as an educational tool for Sasha’s workshops on natural dyeing. While the seasonality reflects the San Francisco Bay Area where Sasha lives, the text on the front suggests that it can inspire you wherever you live: ‘the best way to sample the seasonal color wheel is to awaken your senses, visit your local farmer and flower markets, get to know the community and the ecology in which you live.’
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)
The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients. She is also an artist and designer who works with organic dyes, alternative fibers, and the creative reuse of materials.
For More Information
- Buy the Poster → Interface Gallery in Oakland, CA or by mail order, $35 plus tax and shipping.
- Permacouture Institute
- Mid-Winter Feast: Slow Food Meets Slow Fashion with Natural Dyeing | Selvedge Magazine
- Sasha Duerr at the California College of the Arts
(Images: Interface Gallery and Dana Velden)