Colour to dye for!

 Yesterday I went to a natural dye workshop held in Mortenhampstead.

The only thing I've ever dyed before was a pair of curtains and a bedspread using Dylon in the washing machine...and that must have been 20-30 years ago!

It was held in a felt artists studio in a disused chapel...very atmospheric...

...especially as the lady makes biodegradable felt coffins! Along with other lovely things and some great hats that I may have to make a return trip to buy at Bellacouche! ;)

Anyway enough of that lets get to the dye vats (pans)

We used four different natural dye colours with Isabella and Jane the tutors provided vast snippets of information along with historical dye facts that were fascinating.

We dyed lots of pieces of silks and wool thread and just before lunch Jane started off the indigo dye vat...very interesting how different it is to get it starting to work.

Our break for lunch in the graveyard! Fab!

In the afternoon those who wanted to dyed a scarf or some people were more prepared than me and had brought their own things to try dyeing...one lady brought a cashmere jumper...it turned out fab in the indigo dye...but I forgot to take a picture! Here is Jane showing the magic happening as the indigo changes colour.

At the end of the afternoon we all sat and made up sample sheets of the different colours we had achieved with the help of Isabella and Jane.

Here are my sheets and the scarf...cochineal that had gone a bit wrong and taken on a lilac colour and the ends dipped in indigo.

Not saying I'll take this up in earnest (quite frankly I just don't have the room) but apparently a warm greenhouse can make a great dyeing area! Something to keep in mind should the need arise! :) :)

Thanks for looking

xoxo Sioux