The rich, complex blues, greens, purples, reds, teals, golds, and browns of Renaissance tapestries and Oriental rugs all came from natural dyes, and so do the glorious hues in this book. Using traditional dyestuffs, minimal mordants, and a creative approach to dye mixing, overdyeing, and pH modification, Trudy Van Stralen shows how to produce a stunning range of colors from just a few dyepots. Dozens of full-page photos present a feast of color on fibers, yarns and fabrics, along with instructions and recipes for reproducing them. This book includes in-depth discussion of more than twenty of the most important natural dyestuffs, and more than 200 individual recipes. Trudy Van Stralen's analytical but common sense approach is equally appropriate for the beginner and the dye professions, and her environmentally aware use of mordants makes natural dyeing safe once again for both the dyer and our earth.