Prince of the Forest is an exquisite regal purple naturally dyed eri (peace) silk shawl with hand-knotted fringes which I have printed using local leaves and flowers. I selected leaves which would give a good variety of colour against the plum background – golden macleaya cordata, olive green forest pansy, elegant silver grey false acacia, slate grey smoke bush and many others.

Eri silk is made without harming the silk worms which produce the fine and soft threads from which this has been woven. It is buttery soft and light yet surprisingly warm, perfect for summer evenings. It can be styled in so many ways or draped over a bed or even hung on a wall.

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.

Shipping Countries: United Kingdom (UK), United States (US)

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Ready to ship in 1-3 business days

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Shipping Policy

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I use tracked shipping for all products because they are unique and irreplaceable if lost in the post.
I use Royal Mail as far as possible
International shipping is currently restricted to a few countries outside the UK but if you cannot see your location for shipping, please get in touch as I am happy to obtain a one off quote for your region.
Outside the UK, the buyer is responsible for any import taxes that come due.

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Refund Policy

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Items are sold as seen and illustrated by many images so I hope there is never a need to return or refund anything.
If you wish to return any item, please contact me first to discuss the options.
All return postage costs are to be borne by the buyer.
Items must be returned using a tracked method within 14 days to qualify for a refund.

Weight	0.08 kg
Dimensions	30 × 30 × 1 cm