The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use [Hardcover]

J. N. Liles (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 222 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Tennessee Pr; 1st edition (December 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870496697
• ISBN-13: 978-0870496691
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,897,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Ever Book on Natural Dyeing!, December 19, 1999

By 

Stine (Winnipeg, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use (Paperback)

I have read all the current and out-of-print books on natural dyeing that are available, and I have tried a large number of the "recipes". This is the only book I would recommend. The information is factual, as opposed to annecdotal--a fault most of the others suffer from--and you actually get the colours given, if you follow the steps accurately. It is definitely the best book if you are interested in the classic natural dyes, such as indigo and madder, and it is the only one I have found that gives you a good procedure for Turkey Red! If you use this book, you won't need any others (although they are fun to read!).

81 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ULTIMATE reference book for the Serious Natural Dyer, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use (Hardcover)

This book is a must for anyone studying the history and techniques of natural dyeing. I study as well as teach techniques for historical dyes and this is the only reference that helped me with difficult questions. For example, Liles covers how the roots of the Madder plant can dye orange, red, or brown depending on the temperature of the dye bath, which he provides in great detail. I could never have consistently achiedved that red red without it. Liles give an excellent overview of the evolution of natural dyes from ancient times to modern day. He inludes excellent tables for chemical names, and his advise on disposal of chemicals is excellent and very much appreciated. Liles thoroughly explains the nature of dyes on various fibers and his recipies are fiber specific, although because the recipies are chaptered by color/fiber you sometimes have to look in several different sections to find out everything you may want to know about a specific dye. For natural dyers in the Society for Creative Anachronism and other historical research groups, this book is a must.

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars astonishing work, August 21, 2000

By 

Virginia (ny) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use (Paperback)

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever come across. The amount of information on this all but forgotton craft is astonishing, and a tribute to the dogged diligence of the author. As to the dye recipes, every color of the rainbow is brought forth - and the concoctions made solely from nature for producing them - including information on dyeing hard to dye cottons and linens. An amazing guide from this master of natural dyeing.