Book excerpt: 'Vegetable Dyes: Being a Book of Recipes and Other Information Useful to the Dyer' by Ethel Mairet is a fascinating historical reference that recaptures the lost art of dyeing cloth with natural ingredients. With recipes and tips on using plant dyes, this book is a great introduction to dyeing wool, cotton, linen, and silk in small home-quantity lots. The descriptions of how to collect lichens and rainwater for brown dye and using stale urine as a mordant are both hilarious and informative. With sections on mordants, British dye plants, and specific colors like blue, red, yellow, and green, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in natural dyeing.