GARDENING Dye Plants to grow for dyeing your clothes
By Hannah Stephenson, PA
The rich colours of plants go much further than the garden – if you grow them for dyeing.
The way plants and fungi are inspiring a new wave of sustainable design is at the heart of Material World, Kew’s first-ever fashion and textile-focused festival this autumn, in which artists, designers and horticulturists join forces to champion a greener future for fashion. “Plants are not just an accessory for dyeing. For most of human history, they were its foundation, creating not just colour but cultural meaning, economic power and material identity,” says Carry Somers, co-founder of League of Artisans and author of The Nature of Fashion (out Sep 16). “All you really need to begin are simple tools: stainless steel pots, a good heat source, and a little patience,” says Kate Turnbull, founder of natural dye house The Secret Dyery and co-creator of Threads Of The Canopy, a large-scale textile dye map of Kew Gardens for Material World.
“My advice is always to forage or grow responsibly, only take what you need, leave plenty for nature, and work with plants that are safe to handle.”
Turnbull offers the following simple guidelines for dyeing textiles.
1.Always use natural fibres such as cotton, linen, wool or silk, as synthetic fabrics won’t absorb dye in the same way.
2. Preparation is key: fabrics must be scoured (thoroughly cleaned) and then mordanted with a dye fixative such as
Photo: yellow agrimony flowers.
Photo: yellow flowers of weld.
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