Harris, what a week! Got lucky with the weather and had these beaches to ourselves. Can hardly believe it.
Rowena Dugdale
@redrubyrose.bsky.social
Flora inspired small-batch textiles, plant-dyeing and landscape wanderings. redrubyrose.com
Gorse flower after an overnight soak. A richer orange than the sunny yellow expected. The fabric was mordanted back in October and I think that extra curing time has really helped the depth of colour. Prepping fabric for plant-dyes is really boring though so I never have enough stored.
A sunny day gathering coconut-scented gorse for the first dye pot of the year. Grateful to have some mordanted linen ready to go (prepared with oak gall and aluminium acetate last year). Happy to be starting a new season of colour 💛
The start of new patchwork panels. Linen dyed with indigo, madder, meadowsweet, reed, oak gall.
Finished up this custom make, with patchwork panels dyed with madder, indigo, meadowsweet and logwood. Winging its way to new owner now 🌿
Along the shoreline this afternoon to a favourite spot.
In progress, snippets of plant-dyed linen becoming bag panels. Including indigo, meadowsweet, reed flower and madder.
A few new bags finished up today featuring fern fronds, bamboo stripes and pine trees. www.redrubyrose.com
Along the shoreline this afternoon. Low sunshine, oystercatchers calling and high tide treasures.
Three weeks on from my last visit to Inverewe garden and the early blooms are here along with some lovely dappled light. A magic place off season ✨
Out on the kayak today. A sharper easterly wind than forecast on Loch Maree so just a short paddle and then a warming hot chocolate at Midge Bite cafe. Love these sunny winter days.
Applications are now open for the six month natural plant dyeing course at Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft. Run by fantastic tutors Jacqui Symons and Jenny Dean.
A few new makes listed on my website. These printed velvet zipper bags feature fern frond details from a recent visit to Inverewe garden.
Pattern and print inspiration at Inverewe garden yesterday.
This time of year is plant-dye hibernation for me. Back in October there were metres of silk drying in the breeze. This was a happy indigo leaf, logwood and willow combo.
Frosted twiggery beside Loch Luichart this afternoon. January sunshine is always a treat ✨
Natural dyeing with buckthorn bark - a mix of different mordants and both fermented and non-fermented vats.
Winter light on the beach, my favourite. Big Sand, NW Highlands ✨
Patchwork shoulder bags are now listed. Snippets of madder, indigo, meadowsweet and oak gall on this one 🌿
This patchwork shoulder bag will be part of a mini-shop update on Sunday eve. The dyed linen panels include indigo, meadowsweet, oak gall, madder and heather. www.redrubyrose.com
Although the Japanese indigo has mainly died back after the icy weather there were enough leaves today to dye this silk ribbon 🩵
The light when the northerlies were here last week, all change now 💨
Just a few quilted silk purses remain on my website. Dyed with homegrown indigo leaf, madder root, willow and logwood. For storing treasures, travelling with jewellery, or carrying coins 🧡
