Experimental weaving with natural dyes

Here are the outcomes of the dying experimentation that I previously shared with you.

I was particularly drawn to the yellows and this became a key colour theme within my work during my stay in Lemba.

Out of interest I used the left over dye solutions to paint onto an old white washed wall to see how the colours would sit. The colours from the plant dyes dried very pale, so I experimented with diluting a range of different materials found in the kitchen, to try and increase the intensity of the colours. 

From left to right : cypriot coffee, tumeric, sumac and cayenne pepper.

Tumeric was then used to dye fabric in an attempt to gain a more intense yellow to weave alongside the more muted tones obtained from the pomegranate shells.

The Handmade Loom

Materials: old found frame, hammer, ruler, nails and twine.

THE EXPERIMENT

The weaving project was intended as an opportunity for co-operation from the very beginning. In this work a group of participants weave strips of dyed material, one after the other to form a final weave pattern. Each participant reacts to the small diversions created through choosing a dyed strip of material and weaving through the handmade loom, in-turn influencing the following participants decision-making process. All participants have an input towards the final piece, without any single participant wholly being in control of the final piece.

A stop motion video of the process undertaken