Elizabeth Chin and Bettina Foertig led us through a challenge to prepare and dye plant based fibres, yarn or fabric.

Members were introduced to fibres processed directly from plants (such as cotton or linen) and regenerated fibres (such as soy, tencel or ingeo) and to the various dyes, natural and chemical, that are suitable for them.

The approaches to this challenge varied, e.g. using one type of dye on several fibres, doing an in-depth study of one type of dye on one chosen fibre or simply trying something new.

Cochineal and iron on manmade fibres
Bettina Foertig
Ireland

Soy space dyed with acid dyes
Amanda Hannaford
Cornwall, UK

Fibres and blends dyed with fibre reactive dye
Patricia Maynard
Kent, UK

Wool/soy acid dyed
Barbara Scott
Ontario, Canada

Saffron on various vegetable fibres
Lorraine Edwards
Pembrokeshire, UK

Muslin dyed with natural extracts on aluminiumacetate
Helen Melvin
Bodfari, Wales, UK

Cotton and soy dyed with Procion MX
Barbara Scott
Ontario, Canada

Colour wheel of Procion MX on cotton lint
Leigh Tate
South Carolina, USA

Various fibres and blends in one cochineal dyebath
Marja Heuvelman
The Netherlands

Cotton space dyed with Procion MX
Liz Chin
Trinidad

Shibori dyed cotton fabric with Procion MX
Rachel Hardy
Enschede, The Netherlands

Cotton and linen dyed with Landscapes dyes
Heather Adamson
Winnipeg, Canada

ATA mordanted, madder dyed, top with ammonia
Jean Mounter
Lincolnshire, UK

Space dyed tencel, soy and bamboo with Procion MX
Christina Chisholm
Inverness, Scotland

Cutch on veggie samples, mordanted with alum and tarapowder
Bettina Foertig
Ireland

Cotton dyed with cherries, several afterbaths
Francine Denot
Alsace, France

Food colour & Procion on vegetable/protein blends
Simone Board-Kirk
Island of Stronsay, Orkney, UK

Cotton fabric shibori dyed with Procion MX
Rachel Hardy
Enschede, The Netherlands

Ingeo tops dyed with disperse dyes
Liz Chin
Trinidad