Rowena Dugdale

Harris, what a week! Got lucky with the weather and had these beaches to ourselves. Can hardly believe it.

It’s a prickly gather! One for early in the year when there isn’t much else about.

Wild Colour by Jenny Dean - Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft This practical and inspiring guide to creating and using natural dyes from plants, offers information on current environmentally friendly dyeing techniques and more than 65 species of plants and natur...

Yes, I’d recommend this book, Wild Colour by Jenny Dean. She covers all the basics and beyond: www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/shop/books/w...

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.

Scottish gorse

Yes, what a joy! ✨✨

One of my favourites. Happily it retains a hint of that woodsy coconut scent when the fabric is spritzed with water and ironed. If I forget the plant I’ve used I can steam iron it to get a hint of what it is - every plant has its own signature. Some better than others (eg. NZ Flax, not so nice)

I haven’t, sounds fun!

Bright yellow gorse flowers on a sunny March day in the NW Highlands.

Two stainless steel stock pots. One containing yellow gorse flowers that have been soaked in water, the second containing linen and the gorse flower water, which is dyeing yellow

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 💛

A stack of linen squares in shades of blue, pink, grey, yellow and green. Dyed with plants and ready to patchwork.

The start of new patchwork panels. Linen dyed with indigo, madder, meadowsweet, reed, oak gall.

👋 Yes, hi!

Finished up this custom make, with patchwork panels dyed with madder, indigo, meadowsweet and logwood. Winging its way to new owner now 🌿

It was lovely in the sunshine, but it’s still big coat weather for the brief rain showers scooting through 🩵✨

Along the shoreline this afternoon to a favourite spot.

The reverse side of a patchworked piece, showing triangles of linen stitched together with ironed seam allowance

Linen triangles patchworked into a muted but striking palette of blues, yellows and pinks

In progress, snippets of plant-dyed linen becoming bag panels. Including indigo, meadowsweet, reed flower and madder.

Thank you 💛💛

A handmade shoulder bag featuring a velvet printed panel of pine trees in a brown and black colour way

A handmade shoulder bag featuring a velvet printed panel of a fern frond in a gold, brown and black colourway

A handmade shoulder bag featuring a velvet printed panel of bamboo stems in a muted green, blue and brown colourway

A handmade shoulder bag featuring a velvet printed panel of a fern frond in a brown, gold, green and black colourway

A few new bags finished up today featuring fern fronds, bamboo stripes and pine trees.

www.redrubyrose.com

A collection of barnacles clustered on an inky shoreline rock

Tiny pink translucent scallop shell amongst shell debris

Grey lichen detail on shoreline rock

Coastline scene in NW Scotland. Foreground rocks and seaweed looking across the sea to Skye.

Along the shoreline this afternoon. Low sunshine, oystercatchers calling and high tide treasures.

It was a very short adventure- absolutely freezing easterly wind!

Golden branches of an Alder

Alder, many years ago, by the banks of the Dorset Stour.

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.

Thank you, very much appreciated 💛

Thank you so much 💛

Feather stripe, velvet shoulder bag with shoulder strap This printed velvet shoulder bag features a feather detail on both sides. The bag opens to reveal a linen lining which has been plant-dyed with...

Thank you, I have just re-listed the velvet version: www.redrubyrose.com/product/feat...

Close up of a mossy crack and what looks like to me a lichen tentacle. Theres a spikey dude in the corner looking pointy

Cut little lichen tentacle 🐙 in a mossy crack

Definitely have to look harder at this time of year without the distraction of pretty blooms ✨

Pattern and print inspiration at Inverewe garden yesterday.