About themazi

themazi is a family company from Turkey supplying natural dyes, tannins, mordants and undyed fabrics to natural dyers, textile artists, studios and brands around the world. Our roots go back to the 1950s, when our family began collecting and trading Aleppo oak galls in Anatolia. Today we bring the traditional dye plants of Turkey to dyers in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe.

Our story

For decades our family has worked with oak galls, one of the richest natural tannins, harvested by hand from oak forests in late summer. Over the years we added the other dye plants that have colored Anatolian carpets and textiles for centuries: madder for reds, buckthorn and weld for yellows, and safflower for pinks. Our aim has always been the same: to make honest, reliable natural dye materials easy to get for every dyer, from a first project at home to a production studio.

How we source our natural dyes

Most of our dye plants are grown or collected in Turkey by local growers and village communities who know when each plant is at its best. Our madder is grown in the Aegean region and harvested from roots that are at least three years old; we wash, dry and grind it ourselves. Oak galls are collected from the trees, never by cutting them. Buying directly from these communities helps them earn a living from the plants on their land and protects traditional dye crops. Several of our dyes, such as onion skins, pomegranate peel and pine bark, are by-products that would otherwise go to waste.

What we offer

• Natural dyes as raw powders, whole dyestuffs and concentrated extracts: madder, weld, indigo, buckthorn, safflower, walnut, pomegranate and more.
• Natural tannins: green and white oak galls, sumac, acorn and red pine bark.
• Mordants and dye assists: alum, iron, cream of tartar, soda ash, chalk and more.
• Undyed fabrics and blanks: cotton, linen and cotton-linen fabrics woven in Turkey and sold by the yard, plus dye-ready blankets, shawls, towels and socks.
• Natural dye kits for beginners and gifts.

Learn natural dyeing with us

We share what we know in free, step-by-step natural dyeing guides: how to prepare and mordant fabric, how to dye with madder, weld and indigo, and tested recipes for every color. New to natural dyes? Start with Natural Dyes: Everything You Need to Know.

Retail and wholesale

We ship worldwide from Turkey, with most orders going to the US and Canada. Studios, schools, brands and shops can buy our natural dyes and undyed fabrics in bulk; see our wholesale page for details.