Turkey Red (Part 1)
The term Turkey Red can be quite confusing - it is often used to describe a colour (particularly in modern parlance) - but it is actually an historical method for producing a very fast red colour on cotton cloth using the dyestuff madder. As a collector of historical dye books…
Something a bit different!
For one of the most complex dye processes there is, the first stage is to dunk your cotton (and it should be cotton - either yarn or cloth) into a bath made up of sheep dung dispersed in water. As I no longer own my own sheep I was lucky…
Flanders Flax
One of the things I love about Hautes de France is the fact that flax is still a major crop. It has been grown here for over a thousand years and although very mechanised these days it is still in principle the same process. In the spring we see the…
City of Blue
The theme of my posts for the moment is days out. Since lock down was released we are trying to make sure we get out somewhere 1 day a week. This year is so strange we're making it as positive as possible. We are also lucky that this area is…
Roubaix – a textile town
As lock down is gradually being relaxed we are allowing ourselves 1 day a week to go out and visit "somewhere". We take a picnic and are avoiding mixing with people, but this week museums have been allowed to open, so we thought it would be a good time to…
Workshops
2 New workshops for 2020 at a special introductory price being held at the Home of Dyeing - The Society of Dyers and Colourists, Perkin House, Bradford. Blue is the Colour : Monday 17th Feb 2020 at Perkin House, Bradford. £95 Shades of blue ... Magical, mystical, moody how many…
Ending the year on a HIGH!
I am thrilled to be able to tell you that I can now add the letters ASDC after my name. These stand for Associate of the Society of Dyers and Colourists and mean that I now have the equivalent of an Honours Degree in Natural Dyeing. The next stage will…
Things that can happen!
When you work for yourself you can think you are invincible. There isn't time to take a break or go and have that rest you really need! Later, or you'll give yourself a holiday at some point, but NOT NOW! You take on bookings because you don't know when you'll…
Woad Balls
Way back in the mists of time MEDATS (Medieval Dress and Textile Society) ran a Dyeing Symposium Weekend and part of it was spent with John Edmonds making woad Balls. John had become fascinated with woad whilst volunteering at the Chiltern Open Air Museum after he had retired, he was…
The Society of Dyers and Colourists
For quite a few years I have been a member of the Society of Dyers and Colourists and am currently a Trustee. Whilst at first glance you would think they only are relevant to synthetic dyers (and I have to admit that they are certainly that way inclined!) I have…