The history of making dyes and pigments from plants goes hand in hand with using them for food and medicine. I would go so far as to say that the desire to create colour seems to be as strong an instinct in human nature as the need to nourish ourselves.
 When I began working the allotment a couple of years I noticed some very interesting and unusual plants were growing on the neighbouring plot. Subsequently I met Susan and Ashley and learned that most of the plants they grow are dye plants. Indeed they know a great deal about the subject and are highly skilled practitioners.
 So when they mentioned they were inviting a few people to join them at the weekend to do some dyeing I was very happy to join in.

 We utilised a number of plants including the flowers of Dahlias and Rudbeckia and in particular the leaves of Woad. Isatis tinctoria is the traditional Dyer's Woad of this country being a biennial of eastern origins that reached our shores in ancient times.
 The first step was to gather up bucketfuls of leaves then steep them in hot water. Susan says they smell of the colour blue to her but I must admit I was only getting a slightly cabbagey whiff as they are of the Brassicaceae family of plants!

 Ashley and Susan are expert in the art and science of using mordants, alklisers, reducers and all the tools of the trade to produce colourfast dyes in conjunction with various natural fibers. They have a very informative (and very lovely) website/blog which is well worth checking out: www.naturesrainbow.co.uk

 It's said that the Ancient Britons dyed their bodies with Woad before going into battle (the original Blue Meanies?). Susan noted that Woad is associated with antiseptic properties and speculated this may have been part of the reason they did so.
 She also mentioned that the traditional blue of French window shutters is Woad which has wood preserving qualities!

 For textiles the reason for processing Woad is to produce the beautiful hues of Indigo. And sure enough we dyed various samples and fabrics in the characteristic blue/violet tones that made Indigo a mainstay of the dyer's palette.
 So thanks Susan and Ashley for a great day and sharing your knowledge.