May 2008

From Sei Shonagon's List of Things That Arouse a Fond Memory of the Past:

To find a piece of deep violet or grape-coloured
material that has been pressed between the pages of
a notebook

What a lot I have to say, and just when pressing exhibiting commitments allow little time to write. It all goes back to December, when some neighbours asked me to look at family papers, and an archive connected to an old family business in Leeds. I have written an article about the research and events that followed, due for publication in The Journal of the Association of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, in September 2008. I will reproduce it here once the publication date is passed.

One result of this initial period of research was that I became intrigued - one might with some justification say obsessed - by lichens and the lichen trade in the C19th. This primarily concerned orchil-producing lichens such as Umbilicaria postulata, Ochrolechia tartarea (used for cudbear), and the various Roccellae, which were used to dye silks and wool a variety of purples until eventually the new aniline dyes made their large-scale trade and import more or less obsolete.

The first time I knowingly heard the word "orchil" I was ear-wigging on a conversation between two fellow tutors at the GWSD Summer School in Falmouth, 2007. One of the tutors was Anna Champeney. I went to listen to her fascinating talk on traditional Felpa weaving during the Summer School. I was impressed by her passion, enthusiasm and commitment for studying the area of Galicia in which she has settled as weaver and dyer.

Yarn and a scarf by Anna Champeney using orchil dyes; there are some overdyes in the yarns

I felt I needed some direct experience of working with orchil- producing lichen to make more practical sense of the archive I have been investigating. Anna's experience, and her sympathy to the ecological responsibilities of working with lichens, convinced me that I needed a trip to Spain. I have just returned from studying with her.

The issues around the collection and use of lichen for dye purposes are controversial but it seems to me that sensible advice is offered in Karen Diadick Casselman's Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book of which Anna has a copy. I'd outline them in brief, but unfortunately I don't own a copy myself and can't as get hold of one as it appears out of print.

Here are some images from Anna's workshop in Cristosende, Galicia.

Above: Fermentation vat from Umbilicaria postulata ready to use. The dark colour develops over several weeks

Above: Checking the vat temperature

A selection of orchil-dyed silks (some are overdyes and some have been modified with acid); yarns and scarves. Woven items and larger skeins and cones of yarn by Anna Champeney

May update with several more images here

An ongoing personal investigation into my work practice. Click here to access Sustainability pages

Above: Samples of wool and calico dyed by Jenny Balfour Paul in 2007 with indigo recovered from the wreck of a famous Spanish galleon, Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. For more about this and the Indigo Symposium in Brighton, click this link

Thanks to Caribbean wreck diver Carl Fismer and Rex Cowan, UK-based expert on the archaeology of dyestuffs from historic shipwrecks; and special thanks to Jenny Balfour Paul for allowing me to use her image

But we don't want any more talk of shipwrecks with my brother Alex and Corrie McQueen on the high seas once again. Here's the Eye of Horus to sort out any nonsense. Find my page about Berrimilla's last voyage here. The new Berrimilla north-west passage homepage is here.

Log Archives

Recent work 2008

Crêpe de Chine scarf; Cern'O resist; acid dyes; Lichen design

Crêpe de Chine scarf; Cern'O resist; acid dyes; Marsh Arab design