Artist Statement

Hand Dyeing is addictive, and I love the alchemy of it all.
From plants I now grow in my garden, to foraging on walks in the Derbyshire countryside, I have achieved some of the most beautiful and vibrant colours nature has to offer.
Experimentation is endless. The fibre type, pre or post mordanting.
The time of year plant matter is sourced, or which metal pot is used to dye with.
Kitchen waste such as avocado pits. onion skins and cabbage water.
Squashed Summer berries or those that are no longer edible.
All will give you a distinct colour or tone of colour.
I have reused more than once the dye bath to achieve a variant in the colour.
Plant material such as Weld and Woad can be dried, and avocado pits can be kept in the freezer to prolong their viability.
I have used Soya milk and Alum salts to mordant a fibre.
I have my own iron water brewing, to experiment with shifting colours.
It is a slow process and you become more aware of your environment and what it has to offer.