In the Catskills, a Textile Artist and Designer Creates Dyes From Her Own Garden

Christi Johnson first came to the botanical colorants after working in the fashion industry in Los Angeles. Turned off by the toxicity of conventional dyes, she began using natural ones that could be purchased or created from things she foraged, like black walnut hulls. After moving to New York City, where she took courses in natural dying at the Textile Arts Center, she eventually relocated to the Catskills, where she and her partner turned an overgrown weed patch into a thriving dye and vegetable garden.