INDIGO AND THE ART OF NATURAL DYEING Selvedge Workshop
The world is a colourful place. Regardless of how each of us perceive those colours, the pursuit to re-create the colours of nature in our day to day surroundings has been relentless through the history of mankind. The challenge of finding and processing materials capable of producing lasting colours continues to delight and fascinate right to this day.
Obtaining colour on textiles is of particular interest to Lancaster & Cornish owner Sian Cornish. Sian works from her Cornwall studio with silks, organic cottons and bamboo silks to produce artisan naturally-dyed and hand-made silk ribbons using plant based dyes foraged and collected from the garden and surrounding countryside.
Sian has a strong family heritage in the textile industry. From her Great-Grandparents cotton weaving in the Lancashire Mills of north-west England, to her Grandfather (David Lancaster) trading with merchants from around the globe in the first part of the 20th century, textiles are in the blood. Inspired by travels in India and Mexico, Sian takes forward her heritage and combines a passion for colour and textiles with her own ethical twist.
The seamless bamboo silk ribbons which form part of her range have a matt finish to one side and slight sheen to the other giving a luxurious weight and texture to the finished product. They are hand-dyed, torn, frayed and pressed by Sian to create a distinct feathered edge. The pallette of colours evolves with and responds to the seasons and Sian often carries out several immersions in different dye baths to create the final colour.
Join Lancaster & Cornish together with renowned Indigo textile artist Vivien Prideaux, The Garden Gate Flower Company, Wendy Kotenko and Irene Griffin of Falmouth University in exploring the magical alchemy of natural dyeing at a series of workshops this September.
Indigo and The Art of Natural Dyeing
Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, South East Cornwall, 21-25 September 2015
Tickets from £165, click here to book
www.lancasterandcornish.com
Guest Blog Post Lancaster & Cornish
Obtaining colour on textiles is of particular interest to Lancaster & Cornish owner Sian Cornish. Sian works from her Cornwall studio with silks, organic cottons and bamboo silks to produce artisan naturally-dyed and hand-made silk ribbons using plant based dyes foraged and collected from the garden and surrounding countryside.
Sian has a strong family heritage in the textile industry. From her Great-Grandparents cotton weaving in the Lancashire Mills of north-west England, to her Grandfather (David Lancaster) trading with merchants from around the globe in the first part of the 20th century, textiles are in the blood. Inspired by travels in India and Mexico, Sian takes forward her heritage and combines a passion for colour and textiles with her own ethical twist.
The seamless bamboo silk ribbons which form part of her range have a matt finish to one side and slight sheen to the other giving a luxurious weight and texture to the finished product. They are hand-dyed, torn, frayed and pressed by Sian to create a distinct feathered edge. The pallette of colours evolves with and responds to the seasons and Sian often carries out several immersions in different dye baths to create the final colour.
Join Lancaster & Cornish together with renowned Indigo textile artist Vivien Prideaux, The Garden Gate Flower Company, Wendy Kotenko and Irene Griffin of Falmouth University in exploring the magical alchemy of natural dyeing at a series of workshops this September.
Indigo and The Art of Natural Dyeing
Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, South East Cornwall, 21-25 September 2015
Tickets from £165, click here to book
www.lancasterandcornish.com
Guest Blog Post Lancaster & Cornish
6 comments
Sian your colors are beautiful
Lovely colours beautiful ribbons! For my MAI am researching the amazing range of colours you can extract from nettles by testing soil Ph levels, seasonal differences as well as plant parts and hot/cool dye baths. It’s been a very exciting journey!
This sounds like an amazing workshop! I wish I could attend. Please consider offering this again and put me on the mailing list.
Dear Debra
Thank you so much for your comments. The course is running now in March 2016, from 14th-18th, Duchy of Cornwall Nursery. Please follow the link below for booking – still a few places left. All the best, Sian (do feel free to email me sian@lancasteancornish.co.uk if you have any questions about the week).
Hi Edwina
That sounds amazing – it really does get addictive the art of natural dyeing, and I wish you all the best on your journey. Looking forward to seeing you results! All the best, Sian (sian@lancasterancornish.co.uk)