Textile Processing – The Mulberry Dyer

The Dyehouse is on the move

January 4, 2023January 4, 2023 by Deb Bamford

Deb Bamford

Firstly I would like to wish all my readers, followers, customers and friends a Happy New Year - may it bring peace and happiness and what you desire. "The time has come", the Walrus said or actually I am saying - it's a New Year better continue with the changes.…

Francesco, Niccolo and Agnolo

August 27, 2022August 27, 2022 by Deb Bamford

Deb Bamford

Datini Palace, Prato The building may look a little in need of some repair, but you can see it has had status! I adore this building in the city of Prato, Italy. It was built back in the 14th Century by a gentleman called Francesco di Marco Datini. All it's…

Dreams and reality?

October 30, 2021October 30, 2021 by Deb Bamford

Deb Bamford

I have some fabulous news to tell you! From Monday 1st November I will be a full time student again, studying at the University of Leeds. The Clothworkers Buildings and entrance at Leeds Uni - appropriate place to study, no? I have dreamed of researching the chemistry of dyeing and…

Turkey Red (Part 1)

January 27, 2021 by Deb Bamford

Deb Bamford

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…

Flanders Flax

September 11, 2020 by Deb Bamford

Deb Bamford

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…