Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix

This year we're exploring the Fungi kingdom, and learning about mushrooms in the garden, great outdoors, kitchen, and dye pot. Our next book is Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix™, written by Miriam C. Rice (1918-2010) and illustrated by Dorothy M. Beebee. This book was published by Mushrooms for Color Press, Forestville, CA (2007). The book is the culmination of their research and experimentation over the decades—information has been updated, streamlined, and consolidated. They have added new sections that describe how to make paper with mushrooms, and how to extract pigment from mushrooms. They also made a valiant effort to update the mushroom binomial names (species and family), which changes often to keep pace with research and new discoveries.

In the preface, Rice acknowledges all the individuals and groups who have contributed to the work over the years. The body of the book is divided into five major sections. "Part 1: About Mushrooms", provides a brief history and basic information about mushrooms and mushroom dyeing. An introduction describes the main mushroom groups, and illustrations show mushroom parts. In "Part II: Dyes", color photos identify the main dye mushrooms, organized by the color they produce (yellow, orange, red, blue, brown, and so forth). The sections about dyes and mordants, working with protein fiber, the dye process, and the chemistry of mushroom dyes provide succinct basic information for the dyer.

In "Part III: Paper", Rice adds new information about making paper with mushrooms, especially from woody polypores. The section identifies good mushrooms for papermaking, provides procedures for making paper, and includes photos of hand crafted paper objects. In "Part IV, Pigments & Myco-Stix", Rice describes how to extract pigments from mushrooms and reports on her experiments to make crayons (Myco-Stix) and paints with the pigment. The section provides examples of drawings and paintings made with the pigment. In "Part V: The Future", Rice casts vision for a future where mushrooms are cultivated for dyeing and pigments, replacing toxic products and processes that are destructive to our planet. The backmatter includes photo credits, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index.

This is a wonderful update to Mushrooms for Color, incorporating decades of experience and research, and distilling it to what works. I especially appreciated the updated and simplified section, "The Chemistry of Mushroom Dyes", by Dr. Eric Sundstrom, PhD. I don't have a strong chemistry background, but the description about why mushroom dyes react better with protein-based fabric than cellulose made sense. I was also inspired by the new section on papermaking. Long ago, before we moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, I experimented with papermaking using recycled paper and fibers from palm fronds and other plants. Life got busy so I put it aside, but I've always wanted to get back to it. Rice has inspired me to dust off the beautiful wooden deckles that my Dad made for me, and resume my papermaking experiments. Perhaps in 2027!