Social Media

It's been really interesting following links with my research. Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and others have been a great way to make me aware of just how much information is out there and how much there is to learn! This morning a Pinterest board led me to find out about Egtved girl and the clothes they found in her Bronze Age grave.

I find it incredible that they have been so well preserved and how much information archaeologists can extract from the fibres of textiles such as these. It isn't just what fibre, what colour, which dye, which dye plant it's also sociological and economic information about the community in which she lives just from the fibres!.

On Facebook I have joined the Wild Dyery Group 'a celebration of all things wild'!. All using natural dyes and from all over the world but making each other aware of their successes sharing their problems and connecting to interesting research and literature. Also links with some exciting opportunities like - Aboubakar Fofana next year, in Liverpool? I'm having a discussion with him about hosting a workshop so still in the planning stage. 

The Wild Dyery Group is also an opportunity to get my work 'out there'! These samples are the outcomes of dyeing with the leaves of nettles but the top 2 fabrics are Wool Delaine with Alum and the bottom samples are cotton with a copper mordant. The samples on the left were in a dye bath with dried leaves from the Autumn and the samples on the right were in a dye bath with fresh leaves picked in May.

But that is the question that I need to think through - do I want to be 'out there' and if yes in what sense! I get excited about some of the ideas for realising creations from the dyed fabrics and the designs but then I get equally excited about the research and would love to visit some of these archaeological sites or tribal villages still using natural dyes in the same way as their ancestors. Next year and the next unit will need to answer this question. Perhaps I just need to stop doing samples, evaluate and get on with some of those creations!

LIKE THIS AND THIS!!

BUT I ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE MENTAL STIMULATION AND THE EXCITEMENT OF RESEARCH!!