An organic cotton scarf with knotted fringes which I have botanically printed using local leaves. This scarf can be left crinkled as shown, or ironed for a smoother look.
I printed this scarf using leaves in my garden from macleaya cordata (plume poppy), cranesbill, herb robert, phacelia tanacetifolia, sumac, along with euphorbia and orange bidens flowers. The prominent cercis (forest pansy) leaves stand out from the crowd with their gorgeous green heart shapes.
The colours on a cream natural background range through golden green and olive to citrus.
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.”
– Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Material: organic cotton (crinkled)
Measurements:160cms (plus fringe) x 30-36cms (crinkled – flat)
My Process:
Natural dyeing requires very careful preparation of the fabric, to remove anything leftover from the manufacturing process, and to then treat it so that the dye colour will be long lasting. I use some powdered dye extracts as well as dyes from my own dye garden and surrounding plants. i regularly forage for leaves on my walks and from my own garden plants which I’ve selected for their printing properties. My mental map of my local area is formed around the trees and plants I have come to know and love, whether in car park, on a roundabout, deep in the forest, or outside the local scout hut! Fabric and leaves together are steamed for one to two hours to extract the pigments from the leaves and flowers leaving their beautifully detailed shapes and veining immortalised in the fabric.
Naturally dyed fabrics will fade when exposed to strong sunlight so to keep the colours bright, it is best to store your scarf somewhere away from direct light.
The colours are also best preserved by using a natural soap for washing, certainly don’t use anything that involves chemical ‘brighteners’.
Hand wash or gentle machine wash, then iron whilst still damp for best results.