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Dreams and reality?
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. I have dreamed of researching the chemistry of dyeing and in particular the relationship between mordant and dye for more years than I care to mention (and probably bored you at events if you’ve given me an opening!). Science changed so much with the development of synthetic dyes, but unfortunately stopped for natural dyes in the early 1900’s. Now thankfully that is going to change! My studies are postgraduate research into mordants – the boring part of the process for most people, no colour…
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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 to find a field accessible and with the permission of the owner (all current guidelines being followed of distancing, mask wearing, mixing with others, etc). I was able to wander round the field and collect sufficient for the amount of cloth I want to prepare. More information on this particular subject will be coming up in the New Year, for…
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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 be to go for “CCol” or Chartered Colourist. ” The Associateship of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (ASDC) is the only professional qualification for colourists worldwide. Benchmarked by NARIC as equivalent to a UK Bachelor Honours Degree. Gaining this qualification allows the student to apply to be a Chartered Colourist. ” (taken from the SDC website.) Whilst there are many…
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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 get the next one, think you’ve got it all covered. So John is three score years and ten in a few days … a year ago we planned a holiday with the family. We would go to Pembrokeshire, where he used to have childhood holidays – we’d all go and reminisce with him and see how the place had changed!…
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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 an inspiration to many and is the reason that Reading University started its research into the Medieval woad Vat and the Spindigo project being started. First of all we picked the fresh leaves and put them into a bucket. then we chopped them up with the edge of a spade, chopping them small but not shredding. Then we picked up…
