SEASONAL INSPIRATION
Master the ancient craft of natural dyeing to create colourful fabrics that sing of spring
Plunder nature’s PAINTBOX
Concoct your palette of plant dyes with the humblest ingredients from the garden – from carrot tops and beetroot to marigold petals, cow parsley, nettle leaves and tree bark. There’s a bountiful crop (also in food waste such as onion skins and avocado remnants) to experiment with and create your own colours.
For merchandise details, see page 60
PAPER trail
Mix up inks to pep up papercrafts by recycling leftover dye. Brush the ink freely over loose book pages (ideally photocopies) to paper a wall, or over sheets of writing paper to create a colourful canvas for handwritten notes.
How to make a NATURAL INK
1 To a cup of natural dye, add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of white vinegar followed by gum Arabic (1 part to 10 parts ink). 2 To preserve, add a whole clove or a drop of wintergreen essential oil. 3 Decant the ink into a glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid. countryliving.com/uk
THE ALCHEMY OF COW PARSLEY
A plain white cloth turns primrose yellow when immersed in a natural dye conjured from the green fern-like leaves and white frothy umbels of common cow parsley*. For full instructions, see page 59.
DRYING DAY
After dyeing, hang your fabrics out to dry in the open air but avoid direct sunlight as this could make the colours fade. The delicate cherry blossom pink shown here has been created from avocado stones. For full instructions, see page 60.
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO MISTAKE POISONOUS HEMLOCK FOR COW PARSLEY (HEMLOCK FLOWERS IN JUNE-JULY AND IS FOUND IN DAMP AREAS. VISIT WILDLIFETRUSTS.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION)
TABLE TRIMMINGS
Dyed fabric lengths can be fashioned into napkins, tablecloths or a runner, with a hem sewn all round. Alternatively, upgrade favourite old linens or pre-loved sets that can be found in charity shops. For merchandise details, see page 60.
WINDOW DRESSING
A vintage linen tray cloth has been transformed into a charming cottage curtain. To create the ombre effect, leave a little fabric draped over the side when you immerse it in the dyeing pot. Fade light to dark by gradually freeing more fabric from the dye.
TRIED AND tested
Take the time to play with your ingredients. Use pieces of card to make colour swatches and help you nail your palette, and small pieces of fabric to test dyeing times and mordants. For merchandise details, see page 60
On the FRINGE
Offcuts or test strips can be strung together to make a celebratory fabric garland. Vigorously tear strips to roughl
