Teaching

Natural Dye Classes are available throughout the summer month. We work with both locally sourced Dye plants and imported dyes such as Madder and Indigo,  Our long term aim at the school is to develop our own Dye garden where we can also teach cultivation.

Log Cabin piecing was traditionally a thrifty way to construct a warm quilt from worn clothing, the squares which make up the quilt are made separately and joined to make a full size Quilt, this makes it an excellent choice for hand work that can be easily constructed in stages, Examples of this technique are common throughout many parts of Europe and the America's as a much treasured part of their flok art traditions.

Dye foraging 

Hand Spinning with local fleeces,

we always have a good selection of local fleeces waiting to be spun, 

Beginners classes start with an introduction to the craft and a chance to learn how and why different fleeces are spun up using different methods , and about their suitability either for knitting or weaving.

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Pieced Paper Patchwork features heavily in the earlier Welsh and British Quilts.

This method was commonly used to utilise small off cuts of fancy cottons. A pieced top being made up in stages before finally being made into a quilt, this method is hand stitched and can be worked in stages making it a wonderful winter project.

Natural Dyes and Botanical Inks

Many of the plants we use for dyeing Wool can also be used to create beautiful tones to be used as Inks or Paints 

Collecting and Growing Natural Dye Plants 

Rag Rug making in Wales was once a common pastime amongst the country dwellers. Rural homes made them to soften the cold slate floors and add a little warmth and colour, We have some old examples here at the Museum but most are a little worse for wear but are a wonderful source of inspiration.

Traditionally they were made from worn clothing , wool flannels and tweeds, other examples show great ingenuity one favorite of mine uses waste wool, no doubt this was waste from a local mill