Dying

A little bit more about our dye techniques. All processes are individually tied, stitched and dyed in Cornwall by us Fields! 

Indigo

'Of all the dyes it is the one, Indigo' - William Morris often had blue hands from his indigo experiments. Mum is just like William.

Our Indigo dying takes place in the back garden. Before we begin, the space is cornered off with sheep hurdles. This is both to keep the dogs out, and mum in. 

The magic happens in big black dustbins, the dye vat is a yellowy green colour. When the fabric leaves the vat and is exposed to the air, it changes from yellow - green - blue. The idea being that the blue remains.

Indigo dyeing is like making bread, to succeed all aspects must be correct. The exact ingredients, correct temperature, and a very special touch.  

 

Bright Colours

We dye bright colours to be either solid colours, subtle mottled effects or dramatic space dyes.

This magic happens in the back of the garage. It has not actually been used as a garage for over 25 years but is still 'the garage'. 

 

Techniques

Ombre or Dip Dye - shades blend dark to light.

Mottled/Space Dye - an organic swirling sea or a cloudy sky. This technique can be subtle or dramatic.

Shibori - a Japanese resist technique. Arashi Shibori using a pipe to pleat the fabric, which when dyed, creates a tigers stripe or wood grain effect. 

 

Environmental impact

What this actually means - almost all of the dye is fixed into the wool, leaving minimal run off into the rivers and seas. 

Indigo does have natural run off, however this is not harmful.