collecting 

Natural dyes – I practice responsible and sustainable foraging and harvesting, from the Tasmanian wilderness to my own backyard. I collect endemic native species, weeds and food waste. This is informed by my constant research into plant identification and their colour pigment properties. I also use natural dyes like indigo and madder, which have been used since antiquity.

Fibres/textiles – I forage for natural fibres in op-shops, flea markets, antique shops, garage sales, and my own wardrobe, taking inspiration from cultures where reclaiming and re-using is the norm. I have also collected antique ethnic textiles throughout my travels.

Colouring

Once the raw materials are collected, I work from my home studio to prepare the fabrics ready for dyeing and extracting colour from the plant matter. I try to use substantive plant dyes that do not need a mordant/fixative but also use mineral salt mordants to increase fastness and colour range.I make every effort to minimise water usage by maintaining dye vats and vessels for as long as possible and use the extracted plant matter as compost for the garden. I experiment with various surface design techniques using natural dyes – block colour, shibori, eco-printing, over-dyeing and mordant printing.

Creating

Many things and people; nature, folk-craft, cultures, traditional techniques and processes, art and the artisan inspire me.

Natural dyeing is not an exact science, there are many variables to take into consideration, and the results may be hard to replicate. This influences my design approach, I doodle and make notes of loose ideas and concepts. The high level approach to design allows for the chance encounter that arises in the handmade and natural process. Creating intuitively, each work is assembled and pieced as a response to my materials and the techniques employed. A lot of the time there are no planned patterns involved. Every process and every piece is individual and imbued with this maker’s handprint.