Natural Dyeing

Guest blog post from Lancaster & Cornish. Natural dyeing in Cornwall with foraged and gathered plant-stuff is challenging in the winter months and no more so than this winter, with its never ending cycle of wet, wet, wet! In February, Sian Cornish of Lancaster & Cornish likes to gather fallen Camellia flowers, dodging the showers, and create a beautiful pale pink/amethyst colour on silks and bamboo as part of her ribbon making process. Modifying the dye bath with iron creates soft greys - a palette reflecting the flora and indeed skies of Cornwall. Camellias are the unofficial flower of Cornwall, and are abundant across the county, where many varieties have been developed. Together with her young children, Sian carefully picks fallen blooms from her garden and surrounding parks and bring them straight to the dye pot. The biggest challenge faced at this time of year is drying the fabric. It is so wonderful to be able to hang everything outside to dry in the warmer and dryer months, but at this time of year that is something only to dream of, and instead face a studio full of drying racks and lines. Join Lancaster & Cornish together with renowned Indigo textile artist Vivien Prideaux, The Land Gardeners, Wendy Kotenko and Irene Griffin of Falmouth University in exploring the magical alchemy of natural dyeing at a series of workshops in March. Indigo &The Art of Natural Dyeing Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, South East Cornwall 14^th - 18^th March 2016