OLD DYEING PROCESS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28616, 19 June 1958, Page 2

OLD DYEING PROCESS

Apple Leaves And Wool Used To lift the lid of a steaming pot, stir the contents and replace the lid is not unusual, but there was something unusual about the contents when Miss Katherine Phillips, of Nelson, did this in the Auckland War Memorial Museum She was boiling apple leaves and wool, an old dyeing process. Il was part of an exhibition by the Handweavers’ Guild when about 18 members gave demonstrations of spinning, weaving and dyeing a few weeks ago. The apple leaves were used to turn the sombre grey raw wool into a beautiful corn-yellow colour. a process Miss Phillips discovered for herself. She has been experimenting with all kinds ol plant life since 1941 from odd bits of lichen to leaves of fruit trees “Whenever I go out,” she said. "1 can’t . look at any growing plant without wondering what colour I would get if I boiled it.” Although through failing eyesight Miss Phillips does little weaving now, she is still a keen vegetable dyer and is always ready to help weavers with colour problems During the exhibition many persons were surprised to find that “easily-come-by” back garden plants would result' in the brightest dyes and would be really fast colours. Ivy berries, whortleberries (copperas), and privet berries are for blue tones, while for reds, common sorrel (roots), madder (roots), and the inner bark oi birch are used. Nettle stalks, lily of the valley and cow parsley give a wide range of greens. For a honey cream colour, ink week beenes fit the bill, damsons give a pinky grey and peacb leaves a beautiful golden chartreuse colour To deepen or lighten the colours varying cooking times are used. A certain kind of lichen lends itself extra well for this purpose and from one boiling a complete range of pinks, purples, browns and creams to deep mustard is achieved.