Junior school workshop: What we made!

Last week I did the final workshop at the junior school and we have now made all the products for the exhibition which will take place later this month. These absolutely gorgeous photos were taken by Vera Stevens of  V Photography & Art and you can find more of her photography here. The weather was so lovely last week that we decided to string up a washing line of scarves in the school field. It was such a lovely sight!

(All photos by V Photography & Design)

Naturally Dyed Beads: The Process

I recently launched some naturally dyed beaded necklaces in my shop (and also recently opened Etsy shop) and thought I'd share some of the process photos. The madder-dyed beads below look just like little peaches!

...and here are the finished necklaces...

 

Indigo Dyeing Workshop

I did my first indigo shibori workshop at a local junior school this week. The children are making scarves for an exhibition at a gallery called [Mine] in Carshalton, Surrey. The scarves will be for sale (with all proceeds going to the school) in the summer and another group of children is working on the business and marketing side of the project. The business name that they came up with is "The Natural Look". They learnt all about organic fabric (we used organic cotton voile) and natural dyes, and that we were being environmentally-conscious.

I showed them the simple technique of how to fold up the fabric and use wooden blocks to create a resist. They then prepared their fabric however they chose, and some of the children came up with some of their own ideas. Whilst they were folding, scrunching, tying and clamping fabric, I mixed up an indigo dye bath using pre-reduced indigo crystals so the preparation was very quick! I explained to them that we know the dye bath is ready when the liquid is a lime green colour as the oxygen has been reduced. The children then passed me each of their scarves to dip into the dye bath.

As I took out each scarf from the dye bath, they eagerly watched as the fabric changed from a lime green colour to a deep blue - just like magic! After each scarf had oxidised fully, it was rinsed and then opened up for the big reveal. Everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing at how beautiful and different each scarf was. I was concerned that a couple of the scarves wouldn't turn out well, but I've learnt that you can't make any mistakes with indigo, and each scarf was stunning.

I'll be returning to the school for a couple more workshops over the next few weeks, in preparation for their exhibition in the summer.

Valentine's Pop up Shop

In February I had the opportunity to take part in a Valentine's themed pop up shop in London, through Craft Central. Three other London-based designer/makers and I grouped together to form Love.Make Designs and opened our shop for one week, especially for Valentine's Day.

I launched some new products, which included some new dip-dyed indigo scarves and naturally dyed wooden beads, and made some special Valentine's cards which proved to be very popular! Although the week was fairly exhausting, it was quite a success!

The other designers were Boodi Blu, Iris London Lingerie, and Dual Nation Jewellery.

Limited Edition Neckerchiefs

New to the shop is a series of six indigo neckerchiefs. These were dyed in a several dye baths of increasing concentrations to produce the gradient of colour. They were great fun to dye but it was quite nerve-wracking/thrilling to unfold and rinse the scarves to see the final result!

Fresh!

There's a fresh look in the shop with new photos of the scarves!

The magic of natural dyeing

These photos were taken on Saturday while I was carrying out some experiments. I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some of the reasons that I use natural dyes - or plant dyes to be specific.

Plant dyes offer a totally different experience to chemical dyes. Firstly, the aromas that come from my dye pots make the process very enjoyable. Madder is my favourite, which produces a sweet smell when simmering on the stove. A subtle fragrance lingers on the fabric even once it is dry. It's not noticeable to some people, but I have a very sensitive sense of smell and I love sniffing my fabrics! The fragrance is very delicate and each dye is slightly different.

The next aspect that I really enjoy is the unpredictability of plant dyes. When the dye washes out of the fabric it can produce quite surprising results. For example, the logwood in the second photo has a pinky/beetroot tinge but once the fabric is rinsed and dried, the final colour is a beautiful, muted purple. Logwood always leaves small dark flecks on the fabric, which no amount of stirring to dissolve the dye will remedy. These small traces from the process must be embraced.

Natural colours are never flat or one-dimensional; the dyed fabric seems to be "alive".  I've heard that if you look at a piece of naturally-dyed fabric under the microscope you will see all the colours of the rainbow. A piece of fabric that appears purple, will actually be made up of many colours that produce the over-all effect of purple. Synthetic colours, in contrast, are totally flat.

Experimentation, which is the most exciting aspect of the design process, is imperative with natural dyeing as you cannot predict how a colour will take to a particular type of fabric. I keep a book of swatches and recipes so I'm able to control my results as best as possible. However, the natural-dyeing process is dependent on so many factors, including temperature and water pH, that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate colours with 100% accuracy. Besides, it is the variation in results that is so intriguing. Chemical dyes were invented to produce consistent results, but natural dyes offer so much more than this.

Indigo, I believe, offers the most magical dyeing experience. To dye with indigo, the oxygen needs to be removed from the pot of liquid, which enables the indigo to dissolve and attach to the fibre. The fabric first turns lime green and once it has been taken out of the pot it starts oxidising and changes to a deep blue. The colour change from green to blue never fails to excite me. The first photo, above, shows indigo that has partially oxidised.

Finally, it's important to emphasise that plant-dyeing is not a quick process by any means. It takes time to prepare the fabric before it's ready to dye. First the fabric is scoured (cleaned) to remove residues of oil and dirt, then the fabric needs to be mordanted (with the exception of indigo), to enable the dye particles to attach to the fibre. The fabric goes through several processes before it even comes into contact with any dye. All in all, the natural dyeing process takes several hours longer than working with synthetic dyes. However, once you have fallen in love with the process and the results, then you will realise that it’s worth it!

My Ethos

A lot of thought goes into every aspect of my business and I ensure that that all decisions are in line with my natural and sustainable philosophy. The card stock I use for my tags and business cards is sourced from sustainable forests and the string is hemp.

Hemp is a very fast growing plant, and just like bamboo, thrives without pesticides. The fibre-plant must not be confused with the drug plant; they are entirely different varieties. Hemp is fast growing, naturally crowds out weeds and does not deplete the soil of it's nutrients. Hemp is nature's most durable fibre and is naturally UV resistant. But what shocked me is that it is illegal to grown hemp in the USA even though it has absolutely no value as a drug. However, there are no restrictions on importing hemp fibre.

I'm know I'm only using a small amount of hemp twine for my tags, but I try to extend my ethos to all aspects of the business. I certainly plan on expanding my textiles range to include hemp at some point in the future. I have a couple of dresses made from hemp and the fabric softens beautifully over time and seems indestructible!

Behind the scenes

This is a glimpse of the wooden implements I use to stir the dye pots. The plant dyes colour the wood so beautifully that it makes me want to colour some beads!

I've had some wonderful exposure across the Internet over the past few weeks. Thanks to everyone who has featured my textiles! Here's a round up of some links:

- My scarves were selected as Gems of the Week
- A great feature on Ecosalon
- A lovely write-up on Pattern Observer
- Things British mentioned my textiles on their Facebook page
- My petal clutch was featured on Frolic!
- The bamboo scarves appeared on Blog and Buy Sale
- Catherine Chapman interviewed me on Bon Ton Times
- Rebecca Hall featured me on her blog, Bexceptional
- My indigo scarf appeared in a scarf round up on Babble

I'm also excited to reveal that my leaf scarf is due to appear in the September issue of my favourite printed magazine! All will be revealed once I've received my copy later in the month...

For more behind the scenes sneak peeks, follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Minimal

These simple organic cotton clutches were developed to complement the geometric patterned scarves. I chose this fairtrade handloom cotton as the texture of the fabric is highlighted by the natural dyes. The dyes settle into of the slubs creating a beautiful texture and variegated colour.

From a personal point of view, I've searched many times for simple one-colour bags but to no avail. I like my bags to be minimal and not take over the entire outfit, so I kept this in mind when designing these. They are beautiful enough to accessorize a wedding outfit, but simple enough to use everyday.

* First photo by Vera Stevens

Soft Geometry

When I started to develop the designs for the scarves I discovered that working with natural dyes and hand processes could be quite unpredictable. At the beginning I'd draw an idea on paper, test it out, and if it didn't come out as I'd hoped, I was quite disappointed. I soon realised that the processes and the materials needed to inform the design from the very beginning. I learnt to embrace the variations in colour or tone, and the "soft" geometric patterns I created on the silky fabric. The inspiration behind the final set of designs was the idea of slightly "imperfect" geometry; patterns that are natural and intriguing to look at. Each scarf is ever-so-slightly different and beautiful in its own right.

* Photos by Vera Stevens

Silky Bamboo Scarves

The bamboo scarves are available in three colours, each with a distinctive geometric pattern.

The fabric is beautifully light and drapey, with a silky lustre on one side. Bamboo is considered more sustainable than silk, and most importantly, is cruelty-free. These scarves are a luxurious alternative to silk for people (like me) who choose not to wear any animal-derived products. Since bamboo thrives naturally without any chemical intervention, it is not usually certified as organic, but the methods used in the production of this fabric have been certified by the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). So it really is as natural as it gets!

Welcome!

After months of dreaming, reading, researching, dyeing, sewing, more dreaming and endless planning, my shop is now finally open! Who knew the process would be so involved?! Of course I'm still working on some aspects, but I am happy to say that the virtual doors to my shop are open! If you visit, please come back here to let me know what you think!

I plan to use this blog as a place to share developments and inspiration along the way. Over the next few days I'll be writing a little bit about my products and the process.

* Photo by Vera Stevens