Before going synthetic, dyeing clothes was like alchemy: it involved heating a cauldron of water, dye, fabric, and fixatives (often vinegar or urine) to bind pigments to the cloth. With a strong ...

Dyers say pigments can imprint a favorite color on clothing, quilts or even yarn and give them a way to connect with nature and preserve it. The flowers of perennial dyer’s chamomile are one of James ...