I am passionate about working with cloth and yarn dyed from plants you have grown yourself.
I gave a talk yesterday to the Chelmsford Embroiderers’ Guild.
I had a lovely evening. Thanks to Angela and June for inviting me and for your hospitality.
As follow up, here are some pointers for supplies and books I promised to share online.

References

Mordants and Natural Dyes
Earth Hues for extracts
George Weil  for plant dyes and mordants; especially aluminium acetate mordant for silk and vegetable fibres
P&M Woolcraft  very friendly and good prices
Wild Colours sells woad powder, dyes and provides lots of information
Fiery Felts  I forgot to mention this supplier in the talk but Helen is very good for dyes especially dried flowers hard to obtain elsewhere. Her booklet on indigo is also excellent.

Dyed threads as well as dyes and mordants
Renaissance Dyeing – based in France
Mulberry Dyer run by Debbie Bamford, a pre-eminent historical dyer who sells at re-enactor markets and also via etsy shop.

Books and blog

Jenny Dean  Doyenne of Natural dyeing in UK. Her landmark book is Wild Colour (2010) but all her books are excellent.

Women’s Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times (1996) by Elizabeth W Barber

The Story of Colour in Textiles (2013) by Susan Kay-Williams

Exhibition
Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge Sampled Lives till 7 October 2018