I can’t stop myself and take photos again and again of these sandy pictures.
Through them I can see a minuscule word, few square cm of art in the immensity of the beaches and dunes. But also a world by itself as it looks like the coastal line of Scotland with its sea lochs and its 800 islands.
Every day I look at this world by my window, when I walk, when I travel throughout the island. The colours, the light and the textures are dancing before my eyes, it is a constant show for the eyes and for the heart.
Using the embroidery as a medium to capture my sensations and my emotions about this place I call home has been more and more obvious with the years. It has been like an explosion of happiness and joy to prepare my loom, to stretch the fabric, display the print and stab it with a needle and a thread., Every time I feel the thread going throughout the linen and the vibration with its contact, it becomes a mindful moment for me. Once, twice, and thousands of time.
And one day, the picture is achieved. I had no idea when and how it would be finished as I am freely piercing the fabric again and again until my heart tell me is it done.
In July 2023 during the summer event of Open Studios Hebrides, I began something I haven’t yet gave it a name, but for sure it is entirely related to the Isle of Lewis. This piece if the first one of a series which I am committed to complete in 2024.
Prepared and processed on my grand-mother's embroidery loom, the material themselves have their own history. The fabric is a 100 year old linen that I love to use in different project I have presented on the blog before. Sometimes I use this same fabric that I dye with plant I can find locally. Here 2 of them are printed with an identical linocut.
As said previously I take a lot of photos. I reproduced and carved two of them on lino then print them with yellow, black and gold paint. Finally the last step was to embroider with very old threads offered to me a long time ago. They come from a haberdashery in France that was run by a couple at the beginning of the 20th century.
As the fabrics, they have been offered to me as precious present by friends and family who know how much I love the old material and give them a new purpose.
This embroidery has already a little sister and I am currently working on new pieces.
]]>A new year with new designs, new projects and this is in part because of the success of 2023 that has been so encouraging. Here is a short logbook to tell you what’s happening behind the scenes during this winter, a more quiet time…. In appearance.
While I am writing these lines I have completed 3 new baskets designs and about 6 others are in progress.
I am finally sparing time for embroidery projects and I have a first exhibition in mind, I am going to speak about all of this in a next article.
All of this takes time and even more with the winter weather we are going through here in the Outer Hebrides. Days are still short and cold. We had a beautiful snowy week but it also means everything is slowed down for safety. The white scenic landscape disappeared blown away by the storm Isha and immediately followed by Amber. This constant wind and rain hitting the house is tiring. It is a loud, continuous and restless noise around us. Then once it passed, check the house and the garden for potential damage.
There is nothing unusual here, we call it winter. I must admit my energy is dampened a bit and I work slowly but surely.
Practical informationThe online shop looks a bit empty but remember there is only one person making uniques pieces. Bear with me I am currently working on this to offer you soon beautiful baskets with new colours and new designs.
From now, there is no more postage fees for the UK residents. When you order on my website, your delivery to a UK address is free.
Finally, maybe you have noticed but the dragons and fairies disappeared from the website. The page is indefinitely turned off. It has been a great adventure and I was delighted to make each of them, imagining a name and a history. Bye bye Dragons and Fairies.
I will be back soon with an article about the embroidery project and a first artwork to show you.
Take Care,
Mathilde
]]>I am finishing this year with a last custom order. In September, during the Artisan Fair with Open Studios Hebrides I met regular customers and new people. Among them, a lady discovered my work and was really interested to offer a mini blackbird basket to her daughter-in-law. This project is very special because her daughter-in-law is blind, she can only sense some colours, the best one being purple.
This project was a good experience to work on with a new approach. I am very sensitive to the shapes, textures and colours I use and create to produce an object. But this sensitivity is about how I see them with my eyes mainly. I barely use my other senses.
And here I meet this person who tell me that it could be a very interesting gift for a non sighted person ! I was immediately seduced by the idea.
I worked this mini blackbird basket with my hand, especially to choose the driftwood. I made a selection of 4 and passed them again and again between my fingers to feel them and make my choice.
The rope is firm under my fingers, there is a succession of curved edges and wavy lines. The smoothness of the driftwood is sometime interrupted by bumps. The ends are slightly rough.
I now understand that my work is not only visual but also tactile. I had sensed it in a way because you ask me, when I meet you directly, if you can touch them, and you are always surprised of the robustness of the baskets and automatically you hold them with your 2 hands, whatever their size, you appreciate this sensation. This custom order lead me to pay more attention to this tactile aspect and I want to completely include it in my creative process.
I have already say it in previous articles but I will repeat it: you, the clients, visitors, supporters are part of my work and for this I want to thank you all.
Take Care,
Mathilde
]]>Today I do not speak about plant dye but still about rope. This year I got some custom orders. It is quite new for me and I am happy I opened this option in my studio. Clients have their part in my creativity. It can be following a conversation where you are suggesting something or a word has been said and my brain transforms it to an idea for a new project.
This time it is a bit different. I met my customers during the Artisan Fair with Open Studio Hebrides in September 2023. I could see they were hesitating about the basket Rosemary. I approached them and informed them that I was happy to answer all of their questions about my work and suggest I could make a bespoke basket if the selection displayed this day missed what they really wanted.
It opened the custom order book. The idea was to have a basket very similar of the Rosemary design, the same colour but 5 cm shorter in the heigh and the diameter. They also asked me if I was making basket with lid. Indeed I made some 3 years ago, at this time with plant dyed cotton rope but on much smaller scales.
This request was a good coincidence as I was already working on some new designs for 2024 including baskets with lids.
I am happy now to present the basket Oregano. It measures 35cm in height and a diameter of 33cm with the lid (About 31cm without it). Let me know if you are interested to purchase one.
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Here is my last article of the year about plant dyeing. Autumn is definitely here, days are shorter and soon it will be time for me to join my family in France for the Christmas festivities. Still, I have things to show you before we finish the year.
August-September are a good period on Lewis to harvest Rowan Berries. The tree grows very well here and they are not rare. In the past it was often planted in front of a house to protect it from the fairies.
“Rowan protected coffins and babies’ cradles, and was attached to the horns of cattle. It is still thought unlucky to fell a rowan tree, especially in the Scottish Highlands. For some, rowan was the tree of the fairies. It was wise to keep a rowan staff handy at midsummer as an escape route, should someone become trapped in a fairy ring.”
Witch’s garden, plants in folklore, magic and traditional medicine, by Sandra Lawrence, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, 2020.
Today we are not going to speak about fairies but certainly about plant dye. My first attempt to dye with rowan berries is back in 2021 and it wasn’t a conclusive test. I decided to try again this year by using a larger quantity of berries and this time, I am very thrilled about it.
As always I practice my tests first on cotton or linen fabric. A soft pink appeared and to my great surprise the light test didn’t fade the colour but turned it in a shade of orange.
As for the iron soup, as usual I used it to modify the initial colour and obtained a light grey.
I made only 2 baskets with this dye and they are already sold out. However, I still have enough rowan berries in my freezer for one bowl. This new batch will be made at the beginning of 2024.
]]>I have heard about it before and this summer I tried it. The buddleia flowers have are a powerful dye material. On linen fabric, it produces an intense yellow, classified as Straw Yellow (71) in Werner’s Nomenclature of Colours and once modified with iron soup I obtained the Honey Yellow (70).
On the cotton rope, we approach the colours Chestnut Brown (103), yellowish Brown (104) and Wood Brown (105). There is still one bowl available in my online store with this dye.
Buddleia trees grow well here on Lewis. Some people have them in their courtyard and they produce wonderful flowers. It is also called Butterfly tree as it attracts butterflies but also pollinators.
I have planted a little one in my garden in August and I hope to plant one or two mature ones on the croft for the following year.
I do not have a lot of photos of the fabric. I must say it is very challenging to catch the real colour through the lens of a camera. I have still a lot to learn about it. In the next article I will speak about my second attempt to dye with Rowan berries and I have more photos of the fabrics.
Take Care
Mathilde
]]>While I am writing this article, it is Monday morning and I am back from an annual leave that was necessary and beneficial to renew energy and refuel myself.
In September I have finally introduced this special collection I named A Sinuous Dance. A collection where I explore the movement combining rope and driftwood.
In august, one of my customer made a special order for a mini blackbird item, with a contrasting thread on a white rope. Also she asked for a curly, wavy piece of driftwood, not too long. I had great fun to create this because I immediately understood it will be a brillant piece to make and to look at once done.
I must say I am very satisfied with the result and it inspired me other combinations of colour:
Gold thread on black rope
Vieux Rose on black rope. This one is on sale in my online shop here.
I have enough material now to continue this exploration and offer you more to see in the following months.
In the next article I will speak about a new plant I tried to dye with in August.
Take Care,
Mathilde
]]>Only few days left and it’s a wrap for this season ! It has been intense, beyond expectation and once again a fabulous summer, even the weather has been mild.
I don’t know where to start as so much happened. My products are now available in 6 places on the mainland. This autumn I am creating a section on my website to help you find the stockists. They did a great job promoting my work and selling my baskets and I had to bring more in September where I did a delivery of 34 items. The third collection “A Sinuous Dance” is finally available in my online store and I have also write an article about it. I am particularly fond of this one as it show you where I am currently in my journey: exploring shapes and colours.
The Craft Fair season has been great too and I know my baskets are travelling throughout the world because of you. Thank you so much for showing enthusiasm and support in my work. I have a final day: this Saturday I will be in Grinneabhat café, on the west side of Lewis for an Artisan Market among other artists and artisans. This event is organised by Open Studios Hebrides
Open Studios Hebrides has been created in 2021 to promote and support the artists and makers living on the Isles of Lewis and Harris. I joined it in 2022 and this year again its been fantastic. Among the different events going all along the year I took part of the 2 summer weekends (July and August) where I shared a venue with 2 friends – Dotty Rennox, painter and Ed Lewis photographer and painter. I met people from Europe and America, chatted with children and adults, exhibited my work and spoke about my creative process, about plants, about history. I love this kind of moments with you and the bonus was the sales and the orders. The star of this weekend were my little bowls dyed with local plants. I was almost sold out the first weekend.
All of this contribute to nourish my imagination and my creativity. My autumn will be made up of :
Studying : Gardening and the science side of dying with plants. I am going to create a new garden, edible and tinctorial. I have 375m2 to transform in an edible and dye garden. I have received my seeds and bulbs and I look forward to read books, design this garden and get my hands covered in soil. Also I am starting an online course in botany with Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh.
Creating : Autumn and winter are the perfect seasons as I can retire from the world and spend time in my studio and home to make real all my ideas. Following my observations all along the year, what you like and what you would like, I am keeping this in mind to develop new designs for the collection Elegant & Useful.
Autumn and Winter are a time of preparation for the next year. I prefer to spread the work along the months and do a bit every day rather than rush myself at the end of winter. In consequences I am already working on all of this.
Finally I wish to be regular again here with blog articles and weekly newsletter. I have a list ready about plant dye I experimented in August, give you more detail about the Sinuous Dance and more …
But first thing first, this season has been very intense and all what I need now it is a break. I take an annual leave from 1st to 13th October.
My next 2 public events are :
The Artisan Market this Saturday in Grinneabhat Café
And The OH!Con in Stornoway, the Comic Con is back for a second edition and this time it is about dragons. I will have a table with all my dragons and fairies ready for adoption. It will be a good place to wear again my pixie ears and my dragon dress …
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When I want to dye a material, I use the plants growing naturally on the island or my cooking “waste”. Last year I bought seeds to grow my own colours. Gardening is a challenge of mine in our fully exposed and not very fertile soil. It requires a lot of work to bring back life and maintain it.
This year I had the joy to see the cornflower and coreopsis thriving in the garden. At the end of the season I will have probably enough to make only one batch of each plant. Every flower is precious and harvested with care. I have also in mind to make my own paint with these plants.
Summer is for growing, harvesting and drying plant. I have good hope I will spare enough time in the autumn to experiment with all of this.
Mathilde
]]>Making a basket with rope is a process that brings me satisfaction. Shaping it reminds me of a potter turning the clay to make a pot. The same circular lines appear, the hands position are very accurate, the handiwork is fully controlled. Every basket I make is unique.
The shape of a basket is providing the same sensation of hold in. It is like a nest, a cocoon, a safe and comforting container.
In autumn 2022, I combined the rope with the driftwood I collected here and there since I settled in Scotland.
Cord and wood are becoming one, dancing with each other, encompassing each other.
For a while I kept the secret from here and exhibited this collection only to real eyes. First to galleries on the mainland, where they have been available since June this year.
In July and August, for the second year, I took part of the Open Studios Hebrides and launched them to the visitors. They engage curiosity and interest. They are also a medium to speak with you about my work and my journey.
So far, they received a very warm welcome and I am now ready to show them here and make some available on my online store.
Hello,
For the Second time, I take part in the summer event : Open Studio Hebrides.
Created in 2021 by Gill Thompson, in only 3 years it reached a wonderful and supportive community of artists and artisan living on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
This movement can be found in other part of the United Kingdom and also in France (maybe somewhere else but I do not have more information). It is organized to support and give a wider visibilities to the artists and artisan in a local place.
In less than 3 years, Open Studio Hebrides gathered more than 40 peoples around the Isle of Lewis. During 2 weekends in summer, we open our studios, ateliers, workshops to the public to offer an insight view of our lives as creators and makers. Despite the great view and light I get in my studio, it is not easily accessible to the public. So for some of us not having the possibility (yet) to open our den, we share a venue and bring material to work there.
I had my first go last year and I met lovely people who became friends. We support each other in our private and professional lives, we share our skills and experience when in all what that involve to be an artist, try to make a living with it, find our public and assert ourself as artist. It is a true richness to be part of this art community.
This summer, the Open Studio Hebrides will take place the 27th-28th-29th July and the 3rd-4th-5th August, a bit everywhere on Lewis.
As I wrote it before I am not able to open my studio but I will share a venue with the photographer and painter Ed Lewis and the mix media artist Dotty Rennox. We will welcome you in the Educational room in the Lews Museum, by the Castle, in Stornoway. Surrounded by the Castle Ground, the café and wonderful museum, it is an ideal environment to welcome you and present our work.
The Open Studio Hebrides it is also:
Leaflets and maps are available a bit everywhere around the island. You can also find all the informations on the website Open Studio Hebrides. If you have any question do not hesitate to contact me I will answer with pleasure.
I hope to see you there, Take care,
Mathilde
]]>With this new article, I thought I could speak about my baskets and my work with the cotton rope. Last autumn I decided to use the rope and the dye process as my main medium to express myself. With this I can use colours and textures to make a shape that I love to watch and create indefinitely: circle. There is something smooth and calming in this shape. It is also the feeling to be contained by softness.
I have tried to make square basket for example but I felt very distant with this shape. Whatever I start a 3D or a 2D project, I will make circle, spiral and curve the rope. The motion is as enjoyable as the result. From the incubation process that can last months to the moment I hold the final object in my hand.
For now, in 2023, I made 122 objects with rope: Baskets, bowls, vessels. Those as displayed in 3 collections : Elegant and Useful , A Hebridean Dye and the last one “ A sinuous Dance”. This last collection is following a different route as its items are currently available in only 2 galleries on the mainland : The Alchemist Gallery in Dingwall and Ceard Gallery in Ullapool. In July and August I will introduce them myself during the Open Studio Hebrides taking place for 2 weekends.
A first glance could let you think it is a basket because of its round and containing shape but I prefer to see this as a vessel. The Sinuous Dance is an artistic exploration. It is about modelling the material to create a ensemble and wake up a sensation by looking at it, touching it.
But for now let’s speak about the baskets. There is currently 13 difference designs. In the collection Elegant and Useful, each design is named after a plant I affectionate. The Hebridean Dye’s one are named after a place for which I have good memories here in the Outer Hebrides. In this collection there is the Tolsta Basket. I do not record it as one design as, every basket as its own size and volume.
I can’t say one design is more popular than another one as each of my customers have already a special story with their choice when purchasing one or many of my products. Something that is common for all of you is your happy surprise about the robustness of the baskets and the intriguing way of my skills to make such an engaging shape that makes all of you wanting to touch them, to feel them. And I am so happy you feel this. For me a successful basket is the one that create a visual and tactile interest. It is what makes their beauty.
Sometime I hear feedback from you about your use of it, the pleasure you have to see it everyday and by the description you give me, the smile on your face and in your word, it is obvious you completely adopted this new addition in your home and I can picture it. It is is unique gift you make to me.
Thank you for telling me your story. Thank you for being part of mine.
Mathilde
]]>Dear reader, hello.
After realising the Huisinis pouches last month, you can now find a small collection of 11 Cliff pouches. They are made of a patchwork of cotton I dyed with plants. Every pouch is unique in its colours and its lines. I like when an object show some irregularities, that nothing is straight. It makes it even more natural and unique. As for my others works I like to combine the colours and to see how they interact together.
When I took photos of my pouches it reminded me the work of the artist Josef Albers about colours. He researched and taught this most of his life and his major work about it is the ‘Homage To the Square’ collection that he started in 1950 until his passing in 1976. He created more than a thousand square painting. Here is a compilation of only 12 of his painting.
I have just ordered his book Interaction Of Color to learn more about this theory and see how I could combine my natural dyed material in future works.
Like the Huisinis collection, the Cliff pouches are made for a daily use, for small items, like coins, earphones, library or gym cards, earrings and small jewels... Once in your hand it is your choice of how you are going to use them. I invite you to visit the shop and browse the whole Hebridean Dye Collection.
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Until recent years, I hated stinging nettle because of the itching lasting many hours, sometimes a day. Since 2019, my perception changed because of the Herbology training I followed with the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. Nettle, along with a lot of other plants, are unfairly disliked and categorised as a weed. What a shame, it is such an amazing ally in our lives. Through centuries, it has been used for textile making, it is an edible and medicinal plant. A legend says that Caesar’s troops introduced the Roman nettle into Britain because they thought that they would need to flail themselves with nettles to keep warm.
Last Thursday I harvested nettles for another use. I am quite used of it now but every time I fill a basket with plants, people are asking what I am making with and make suggestions. But my answer is, most of the time, a surprise for them.
I separated my harvest in 2 parts. One in a bucket that I filled with water. The infusion makes a very good fertilizer for tomatoes. The second part was for dyeing purposes of course.
I am currently dyeing small batches of ropes to make baskets and wooden beads to make necklaces. With this batch I obtained an interesting variation of colours. If I refer to Werner’s Nomenclature of colours:
I used Nettle before to dye fabrics but every dye pot is unique and its magic works on me : I am full of joy at each colour reveal. In this dye vat, with 3 different materials (wood, cotton, nettle) I obtained 5 colours !
The baskets are available in my online shop here. Next time I harvest nettles it will be to make myself a cup of tea.
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Hello May,
Hello You,
I think April itself deserves a full logbook as so much happened. It has been a good start in the new season. Spring and all what it brings : light, colours and vitality !
Despite my absence online I achieved some jobs. In march I went on the mainland for a couple of days visiting galleries and introducing my work. 2 galleries are now displaying my baskets : Artisan And in Aberfeldy and Lael in Lochbroom. 2 others have ordered baskets from my secret third collection. I haven’t yet presented it here or on Instagram but I will do it when I feel it is the right moment. For now, the galleries have the exclusivity. This collection is named “A sinuous Dance”. It is about movement and colours, it is decorative objects made with rope and driftwood.
Then the first Craft Fair Market of the season took place in Stornoway Town Hall during Easter weekend and it was a true joy to do this again and meet my co-sellers.
From June to September I will be in Stornoway or Tarbert for some Craft Fairs, all along the season. I will keep you updated.
For the second year, I take part to the event Open Studio Hebrides in July, an organisation and community of artists and makers, living and working across the Isle of Lewis. You can already save the dates : 27th-28th-29th July and 3rd-4th-5th August.
Finally, despite the few hours spent in my studio, I had time to sew more than 90 headbands from organic or deadstocks fabrics. They are available here. I also made 10 pouches with my cotton dyed with plants. Then, of course, I continue my dye journey and lately I tried red cabbage. The article is available here. I harvested Gorse flowers and gathered enough onion skin to make 3 batches of dye vat. Nettles are growing and will be ready soon and I look forward to dye again with this plant.
If I spent so few time in my studio it is because I’ve been busy with gardening. The weather was too good to stay inside. Secondly, my partner and I live in the old way of islanders lifestyle: following the forecast. As much as possible, we organise our day depending the weather.
In march I started sowing vegetables, herbs and flowers seeds and of course I like to take care of them everyday, being filled with wonder at the growing process.
It is now the third season for my veg garden and it needed a good spring cleaning, literally. We are close to the shore and a lot of wastes arrive in it when it is stormy : plastic, polystyrene, ceramic, glass, rusty stuff, … However We had a good surprise, when digging the soil to remove a maximum of stones, we found a lot of potatoes growing roots again. We found enough to plant them in 4 lines. Celery are naturally growing again without any assistance.
The garden, like the house, is a place I take care to design and try to make it an aesthetic environment where to spend relaxing time. With the help of my Father-in-law, I made a big progress in a plant bed that was bare soil half of the year, once the tulips and summer flowers were dead.
Of course the to-do-list doesn’t stop here and is still in progress. A lot of other jobs small or important took place or are in progress. Renovating the garden is the same than the house, it will take years to achieved.
Last but not least in this long logbook, I have another job. Yes and it takes a lot of time too. Since last year I am training to be a tour guide for the cruise ships coming in Stornoway. I passed successfully my assessments with WITGA. The season started the 24th April for me and it is going to be a busy one !
I am lucky to make a living with jobs I love : handcraft and art with Dragons Are Real, speak about history and the place I love with people who want to know more about it. Both are time consuming but I happily do it and I wake up every morning, happy to start a new day of work and this, is invaluable.
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Hello,
Last autumn, for the first time I obtained a gentle purple colour using Blackberries to dye cotton and wood. Then by applying the iron soup, the colour turned a beautiful dark grey.
Lately I tried red cabbage. The dye vat was a wonderful dark purple and I’ve been very happy with the result. I tried it on cotton fabric and wooden beads. The colour is a purple shade very closed to the Blackberries one. Of course, I wanted to try the iron soup to modify and what a wonderful surprise : Blue !
Blue is a rare colour in the world of plant dye.
I mentioned in a previous article that a lot of factor have to be considered when you dye with plants. One of them is the nature of your fibre and I got an obvious evidence here. While the fabrics and beads were drying after their Iron soup bath, the fabric turned greyish whereas the beads kept their colour.
Here is a good example that the recipe and the method can be adapted, improved, transformed. I have in mind 2 tips to obtain again a blue shade that will last on the fabric:
1- I soaked another piece of purple fabric in the Iron soup solution but this time I rinsed it immediately after and repeated the operation. Then I took care to let it dry in the shadow. Once dry the colour is more blue than grey, there is an obvious difference.
2- fabrics and beads were mordanted with alum. As I received my order of soya bean, I will try again with this mordant and observe what is happening. This will be for a future article.
]]>Hello,
In my article ‘Incubation in the creative process’ I did a brief presentation of the new collection of pouches I made lately.
When I dye with a new plant, I always try it first on cotton fabric. To discover the colour and if it is going to last (I practice a light test to see if the colour fade after 1 week under direct natural light exposure). Once it passed the test I make project with them. In September 2021, I include them in an Embroidery and Sewing Kit I created for beginners (available here).
Last year I made a quilted blanket for my nephew.
This year I am making pouches for you. Combining the colours have been a great source of joy for me. There is many possibilities and I had to restrain myself to not keep them all.
Outside they are made with natural dyed cotton. On the front side, 3 designs are available. On the back side, only one colour. Inside I used my favourite fabric I am using since the beginning of Dragons Are Real: the 100 year old linen ! There isn’t the usual label outside but a unique stamped and hand written identification inside.
The design and size are thought to be a handy and multipurpose pouch: big enough for pencils and a little notebook. To keep make up with you, to carry tablets, pads, tissue wherever you go. Small enough to be held in one hand, to be kept in a handbag, in a drawer, in a box.
It measures 21x15 cm and it is closed with a zip.
These pouches are now available in the collection “The Hebridean Dye”
]]>Today, when people ask me what I do for a living I answer without hesitation that I am a Textile Artist and a Tour Guide. If the second one is easy to understand, the first job requires more time to explain. For the last 3 years, I was trying to explain what I was doing, nearly apologising I couldn’t say what it was, what I am. Since I am a child I’ve always been doing and making stuff with things. I followed painting and drawing lesson for 8 years, and I practiced clarinet on a weekly basis for 17 years. During my free time I also experimented play dough, sewing, embroidering, stabbing nails in wood, learnt how to use a drill, a saw etc … , I had access to a variety of techniques and tools and I was curious and full of ideas. For years, it was hobbies. Then I decided to create Dragons Are Real. After 3 years of explorations and tests, I am settling in the textile and plant dye activity. I use fabric, rope, threads and plant to create.
If it became my job, however I haven’t abandoned my other hobbies. I am still making and crafting during my free time and for personal projects. Currently, my relaxing time is made of:
- Knitting, I have a jumper in progress on my needles and already the wool for the next one;
- Photography, more and more I take my camera with me and practice a point of view on the world throughout the lens;
- Sewing, I have fabrics to make 2 shirts, a pair of trousers, a top and maybe a dress or a jumpsuit;
- Renovating Chairs, I love painting with bright colours, repurpose and give a new life to old furnitures;
- Jewellery, these last 2 years I have gathered material to make necklaces mixing beads, wood, pottery;
- Embroidery, I am sure this year I will have time to reopen my embroidery loom and test some of the projects I have in my Pinterest boards;
- All the rest, my studio is full of things I have collected along the years (and I took with me when I moved in Scotland) because they have potential. I just need longer day !
I can’t limit myself to one technique, one type of material. Colours and textures inspire me constantly and I like to have this choice. Depending my schedule, my mood, my energy I will knit, or paint or read a book ! Art and craft are not just a job they are also a way of life for me. Probably one day I will include some of these techniques that I use only in my hobbies in my work with Dragons Are Real, I am fully open in my professional activity, about its evolution. It is a beautiful feeling to have all these resources around me.
]]>Dyeing with plant is a wonderful art, Since the beginning of Dragons Are Real I wrote many time about it to present the final object. It came to me that it was essential to explain step by step the whole process and to offer you an immersion in this wonderful and colourful journey. I take you with me in the making of a Dail Mor Basket dyed with Alder cone, from the harvest to the finished and unique item.
I collect plants that are growing locally, wild or cultivated in my garden. All along the year I follow the seasons to pick up leaves, flowers, berries, etc … It is important for me to act in a sustainable way. Leave enough for the plant to regenerate, for the birds and small animal’s food and keep in good condition the place. So I am limited in the quantity I can collect. In my kitchen I save the tea bags and the onions skins. I will spread what I collected to dry for minimum one week.
The fabric I use can be made of cotton or linen as I upcycle the ancient bed sheet (about 100 years old). The rope is made of cotton. I always wash the fabric before I sew it, whatever it is brand new or second hand. I mordant the fibre with homemade soya milk. Usually in the evening I pour 125 gr of soya bean in one litre of water in a bowl and let it soak overnight. The day after, I put the fibres in a bucket of water. Meanwhile I blend the beans and strain the milk through a muslin cloth and a colander. To extract a maximum of milk I make a ball with the cloth and squeeze it in my hands. I add water to this milk and put the wet fibres in. It will stay in the mixture for 24 hours (in a cold place to avoid fermentation), stirring it a couple of time to insure the fibres are properly immersed in.
The following day, I remove the fibre, squeeze out the excess of milk and hang it to dry for many days, out of direct natural light. Once dry, I leave them in a dark place for a minimum of 1 week to allow the mordant to bond with the fibre.
You need a very large quantity of the selected plant to extract enough pigment and then obtain a bright colour. To give you an indication you need one part of the dried plant for one part of fibre so 100gr of plant for 100gr of fibre. If the plant is fresh, because of the quantity of water naturally present in it, I will double the quantity ( 200gr of plant for 100gr of fibre). In a large pot I covered the dyestuff with water. It will simmer on a low temperature hub for one hour and then left to cool down for 24 hours.
After this 24 hours, I remove the dyestuff and keep only the dye. I put my fibre (previously dampen in water) in the pot and let it simmer for 1 hour on a low temperature hub, then I leave it to cool down for 24 hours. Finally I take out the fibre and hang it to dry for many days out of direct natural light. Then I won’t touch again the fibre for a minimum of 1 week to allow it to bond properly with the dyestuff.
Sometime, I will modify the colour of the fibre with Iron Soup. Iron soup is a mixture of rusty nails (or other bit of iron), water and white vinegar. Iron can be used as a mordant but also as a modifier. I pour about 3-4 table spoons of iron soup in a bowl of water (about 2 litre) and immerse briefly the fibre in it. For now I obtained grey and green colours with this treatment. I let dry the fibres.
Later I will wash briefly the fabrics, in a sink with a dash of laundry liquid to remove the excess of dye. When I use a plant for the first time it is an indispensable step to check if the colours stay on the fabric.
Again, when it is the first time I use a plant, I will check its strength with a direct exposure to natural light for one week. If it fade considerably I wont use it again. For now I made this observation only with the turmeric ground. Even after 24 hours, the difference was already obvious.
Every time I try a new recipe, a new pigment, I do it on fabric. Once all the steps have been completed I collect a sample and record the majors informations. This is a great resource to use later to reproduce a method or to improve it. If I am happy about it, I will try it on rope and wood.
Finally I make something with this newly dyed fibres. With the fabrics: embroidery kit, patchwork bundles, pouches. With the rope: baskets. With the wooden beads: necklaces.
I am so grateful I can practice this art with what my direct environment offer me. Using soya beans as a mordant is uncommon. Most of the books indicate to use alum in their recipes. I tried the alum but I didn’t observe a significance difference. Also I have a septic tank so I can’t pour alum in it. Soya milk is safe. To resume, the plant dye process require a minimum of 20 days from the moment I harvest the plant to the last step of the making of a product. One of my goal is to create a tinctorial garden with plants that are not growing wildly here but robust enough to grow on the windy island. This garden will include a longer process as it will start from the seed and the beautiful magic of sowing, growing, blooming life of plants. Sustainable and eco-friendly practice are obligatory to use plant. It is the only to preserve and encourage a viable environment for everyone.
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This is a pouch. This pouch is made with selected fabrics, selected design, selected zip, selected label.
Today I need 50 minutes to make this pouch ( cutting, sewing, ironing, labelling ).
In reality I started this pouch years ago when :
Incubation is a long process for me. One day, I get an idea and I will nourish this idea only in my mind for many months sometime one or two years. In my mind I draw, select, cut and sew the fabric and proceed every step until I reach the idea, the picture I have of it. I always keep a notebook with me to write down, at any moment, inspiration, ideas.
Then I think of where and how to get the material, this can take also a long time. A few minutes here and there among the thousands of other things that keep me busy along the day. And what about my skills and my tools ? Do I have the tools for it ? Do I need to learn new technics to achieve it ?
Will arrive the moment I have the material and decide I start the prototypes. It is a thing to have an idea in your head, it is another one to hold it physically in your hands. After many tests, I will validate one. Usually once the project is validated, I start straight away to make the product I will offer to sale.
I made a lot of pouches since I learned to sew ( nearly 30 years ago). All these years I made so much wonderful mistakes that taught me to do better.
In 2020, When I started to dye with plants, I quickly liked the combination of colours I could create and from this moment I knew I wanted to make things using them. In September 2021 I released a limited edition of an embroidery and sewing kit using fabrics I dyed.
This year I make these unique and handmade pouches for you. As the dyeing process requires a lot of resources for a small amount of finished products, these pouches are limited and I can make only few of them per year. Next week I will post an article about the dye process with a step by step from the plant growing to the colourful fibre.
I live with my projects, they are constantly with me, evolving, sometime disappearing, sometime left aside for a distant future. In the article ‘How Do I Refuel’ I listed some activities I practice to refresh myself when a break is necessary. These moments are part of my Incubation process. Have a break and sit for a moment in a coffee shop with a hot drink is part of the creative process.
Last but not least, the creative process is also about you. I validate a prototype when the design, the technics and the material make me happy but also because I think it’s going to please someone else, you.
]]>Hello, today I tell you about my dyeing test with the Lung Wort.
Lung wort is a lichen. In Scotland it is also named Crottle, a general term for dye lichens. I found mention of it in 2 of my books. Both are indicating that you will get shades of yellow, orange, brown, green and even pink or purple if an additional treatment is applied before dyeing. The first book gives the recipe used in the past to dye the wool, the recipe I followed to dye cotton. The second one says that it doesn’t produce fast colours on cotton.
I mentioned it a previous article about dyeing (read it here) and every book you look at to learn dyeing with plants will tell you the importance of the fibre in the colouring process. The author usually includes a chart of colours obtained with one plant and some details of the method or ingredients used (fibre, mordant, bath number, etc …). It is so inspiring ! Also if you start dyeing seriously, keep your own chart to keep record of what you did, whatever the result, to be able to reproduce and improve your recipe.
Crottle is a very precious plant as it grows very slowly and pollution is destroying them. I harvested the crottle that had been blown off the trees by the wind. Also I took only what was necessary for one batch of dyestuff.
Here is the colour I obtained…. A very light shade of cream. Then I applied the iron soup and the difference is barely noticeable.
Am I disappointed ? Yes and no. It’s always a bit unpleasant and frustrating to obtain only a light shade of cream colour on the fibre when you had great hope. Also I am really keen to use the plant growing here in the Outer Hebrides so it would have been a great joy to obtain this orange brown that used to colour the Harris Tweed. In another hand, I know crottle have to be protected so it would mean to make only one or two batch of them per year so in any case the use is very limited. It’s not the first time, it’s not the last one. Some of my tests “fail” but it’s all about experience. This means I need to adapt my recipe and it is how I learn: make mistake, analyse and understand what didn’t work and how to improve it.
This month on the blog we will speak about:
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Hello,
Here is the last article of February and I thought it was a good time to look at what happened these last 2 months and what is coming. A transition as the winter is ending and spring is definitely in the air. Snowdrops, gorses and daffodils are blooming, days are longer… Yes spring is coming !
After updating and refreshing the online store, I’ve been busy to make stock. The summer season is going to be busy outside my studio. There is the craft fairs, the Open Studio Hebrides event and I have a second job. I am a tour guide and the calendar is full, which means less time for making. Secondary, last year I left aside my garden and the foraging as I was too busy making to refill stocks and prepare my guided visits. After this I hadn’t energy left for gardening. Nothing is better than experience, I am organising my agenda to enjoy every season with what it offers.
Currently, 12 plant dye baskets are available in the collection The Hebridean Dye. In the collection Elegant and Useful it is 31 different templates available. From the small basket you can hold in your hand, to the big one to stock your laundry or your firewood, there is a large choice of sizes and colours. Of course the old collections are still available like the dragons, fairies and the accessories.
A secret third Collection
As I announced it in the autumn logbook, I want to develop more than only the baskets. A third collection will be launched this spring, hopefully in March. This collection is about rope but in a more artistic direction.
Accessories
This winter I restocked my fabric stack to make new headbands. Flowers but also bright colours are au rendez-vous. I hope you will enjoy it as much as me.
I am currently experimenting plant dye on wood. The first idea is to offer a new product in the shop. I presented it in an article last week, I am making necklaces with plant dyed wooden beads. If I am happy with the result, they will be on sale in a couple of months.
More is coming. The incubation started a long time ago (as all my projects) but I should be able this year to present a selection of plant dyed pouches printed with lino or woodblock. News will be available once I have enough material to write an article about it.
This is quite exciting time for Dragons Are Real and I look forward to show you all of this of course.
Finally, between end of March and early April I am going on the mainland to visit galleries and boutiques interested (hopefully) to stock my products. If you know a place, someone that could be curious and interested to exhibit what I am doing, you can contact me at mathide@dragonsarereal.co.uk
I wish you a good week,
Take Care,
X
Mathilde
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Hello,
After fabric, after rope, no it is not the wool but the wood I’ve tried ! Yes, wood is also a live and organic material and it absorbs the colours very well.
To dye these wooden beads I followed the same method that used for rope and fabric. I applied a coat of raw linseed oil to protect the wood.
I am still in the experimenting process about the dyeing and the quality of the beads. However, I couldn’t resist to make necklaces and I must say I am very happy with the result. I am already testing other colours. Maybe necklaces will be on sale this summer on Dragons Are Real...
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Hello,
The labels of Dragons Are Real are an adventure by themselves. It is this subtile detail you can’t neglect. In barely 3 years they changed many times in their design and material.
A necessary time for me to improve my visual identity, to be happy with it. I like to give a sense of all what I am doing, in a way, to give a soul.
Currently I have 2 types of label. The ones made by a company and that I use for my fabrics accessories. The design of the label changed once. The first ones, when I launched Dragons Are Real, were used on all my products. The second one is bigger but more aesthetic and can includes my name AND my logo.
But today I will speak about the labels I use for my baskets. They are handmade in my studio and reflect the care I have to make myself as much as I can.
I drew and carved my logo on a lino printing block back in 2020. In January I decided to make it again, with the same logo of course but with a rubber softer block this time which is easier for me to carve.
This stamp is printed on remnant of fabrics that I dyed with plants. One by one there will be cut. One round for the inside of the basket, one blank round for the outside. On the blank one I write by hand “Dragons Are Real by Mathilde” and a unique number I keep on a list with the date it was made.
It is important to me to show you how does it work in my studio to offer you an immersion in an authentic way of work and a personalised experience. It is not just about the object, the product but about its story and that it is evolving and made with time and reflexion.
If you have one of my baskets, let me know in the comments how the label looks in it.
X
Mathilde
]]>Days are longer, yet it is still winter and this season is prompt for tiredness sensation. You know like sometime you feel you are like empty? That you do not have energy for anything, despite the long list of projects that you would like to achieve?
It happens to me, regularly and probably because I want to do too much: making, exploring, learning and this “too much” always end the same way: I feel overwhelmed and do nothing. But as say my dad “there isn’t problem, there is only solutions”. This positive motto is a good start to refuel. As I said in the introduction, it is this feeling to feel empty of energy so like a car, when the gauge indicate a low level of fuel, I do not wait to be in the red and here is my Top 5 of “How do I refuel”!
The easiest one, the more essential one and I think it works for each of us! Most of my work is taking place in my studio, in my home and I can forget to go outside for 2 days. It is one of the disadvantage to work from home. Even only 30 minutes walking in the neighbourhood do myself good. Or go in town with the bike rather than use the car. Yes it is longer but the sensation are beyond compare. And of course a full day spent outside is a delight. I like to feel the windy air on my skin, I always feel better and refreshed once back at home.
I am a mere amateur but since last spring I use more and more my camera to photograph details I sense, especially among trees and flowers. I try as I can to catch the drop of rain on a petal, the ephemeral light piercing the canopy…
Other’s art can be inspiring. At the end of an exhibition I feel I am part of something and I like that. I like to use my work to speak because I am not very good with words. It makes me happy to have this medium as a mean of communication.
How hard it is to get motivation and do exercises. By nature I am not sporty so I have to push myself to dress and do it. And after each session, I feel so much better, stronger, healthier. I got a good balance between fresh air walks, hikes, kayaking and inside activities like fitness and swimming (Yes I swim in a warm swimming pool, the Hebridean waters feel like ice for me!).
They are an interesting space to discover people who share the same interests and hobbies, I also met lovely people who became friends in the real life. It is a good place to promote my work and there is so much talented people, it is a pleasure to follow them. But it is also a space where I can spent too much time scrolling from a picture to a video and time flies and then I feel drained. So I try to use social media with caution and limit my exploration only to the accounts I follow.
Here was my Top 5 of how I do refuel and I think it is important to not overthink what we need, Often it is just to go outside, breath and observe what is around and look with new eyes. This list can change with time but currently this is what is working for me. Whatever our professional activity, our lifestyle we all need to refuel. Let me know in the comments what is your feel good moment.
In February on the blog I will post:
Take care,
Mathilde.
]]>Hello,
We could think that dyeing it’s all about colours. Colour is the arrival/result. Dyeing is a journey made of expectations, doubts, discoveries, surprises, joy and happiness. But Whatever the colour I obtain I will make something of it.
The past months I tried another mordant, the alum. The mordant, like the fibre has consequences on how the pigment will bond with the material. Also, depending which time of the year you harvest the plant, it will give a different shade. So there is many factors and a lot of combinations to considerate when you dye. Then, accept that by using the very same recipe and respecting the method twice, you won’t have exactly the same shade, every bath is unique.
Lately, I tried 2 new plants that are growing very well here On the isle of Lewis : blackberries and marigold. When you used a bath once, you can reuse it for a second batch that will give a lighter colour. Finally when your fabric is dry you can change the colour by applying iron soup.
Fabrics dyed with Marigold petals and treated then with iron soup ( green colours) :
different fabrics dyed with blackberries and treated with iron soup (dark grey colours) :
Since these tests on wool and fabrics, I dyed ropes and something else I will let you discover in a new post, soon.
Take Care,
Mathilde
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The second collection of Dragons Are Real is about colours, dyes and plants. I wrote many articles about this passion. In the Outer Hebrides, there is a long and old tradition of plant dye with the Harris Tweed. Now this beautiful cloth is dyed with modern pigments. But not that far in the past, the weavers used to dye themselves the wool with plants and material they could gather around their home. Last autumn, I engaged in a 6 weeks art course with An Lanntair exploring weaving and plant dye with Pieter Van Der Werf. Its been a fabulous enriching experience. Since, I got this book by Jean Fraser ‘Traditional Scottish Dyes & How to make them’.
There is a lot of books about plant dye around the world, very interesting resources also exist in UK but it is really rare to find the recipes that used the Scottish or even Hebridean plants. This book is a gem and I look forward for spring and summer foraging throughout the island. The Outer Hebrides have so much to offer.
Meanwhile I’ve been experiencing dye recipes on rope these last 2 years and I feel more and more comfortable to try new things.
But here is my source of pride of 2022. The shapes and the shades are creating a perfect combination. From this moment, when I made my very first dyed big basket, I understood I was opening so much more possibilities in my art.
I like colours and bright colours in my daily life. My home is rich in colours but I love the natural shades the plants are offering here. It is like a call of nature, it is calming like watching the scenic Hebridean landscapes.
These baskets will be available in my online shop 1st February. See you next week to speak a bit more about the Dye magic.
Have a lovely week,
X
Mathilde
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That’s it, we have finally arrived the day I reveal what I have been making the past 5 months. The great adventure of making of with rope. During these months of making and thoughts I imagined what would be the best way to show what I am doing. I could say I am making baskets. But for me it is more than this and I see a difference between my products. That’s why I’ve decided to create 3 collections that allow you and me to make the distinguish on how I use the rope, the different techniques and the different purposes of the final object.
Today I introduce : Elegant and Useful
“Do you make this yourself ?” - “ yes”
“ Is it glued ?” - “ No I sew them with a zig zag stitch with the sewing machine”
“ How do you make this shape ?” - “that, is my little secret”.
A basket yes but for what ? I have many of my baskets at home and we use them for, hats, scarves, gloves, firewood, keys, cash and empty batteries, potatoes, knitting in progress…
These baskets are imagined for a daily use all along the year and will last.
I made my first baskets back in 2015 and they are still regularly used. Since I improved my techniques and use stronger ropes.
Here are some photos of the baskets. The shop will reopen in February where they will be available and also with more colours and sizes available.
This basket is a very large one and is ideal to store aesthetically your peat or firewood next to the stove.
As I said earlier, I use baskets for many purposes at home. These medium and large sizes have been a bestseller since the beginning of Dragons Are Real. They are very handy and chic to store wool, blankets, toys, gloves, etc …
Sometime simplicity is the key for an elegant touch. The bathroom is a practical and essential place in a home so why not pay attention to the decoration and the details ?
Theses baskets will be available 1st February in my online shop. Next Wednesday I introduce the second collection : The Hebridean Dye.
Have a lovely week,
Mathilde
]]>This new year marks a turning point in the life of Dragons Are Real and I thought it would be good to remember how it started to tell you then, where is it going.
When I launched Dragons Are Real, my purpose was to create and make quality material of game answering babies and young children’s needs, depending their stages of development. Using my experience in Nursery in 3 different countries I had developed a particular interest for material of games for babies and toddlers. Despite all my motivations and my great list of idea, I realised that this goal and how I wish to work for Dragons Are Real weren't compatible. For 2022 I had the goal to obtain the UKCA certification to offer for sale my toys in shops in UK. As I explained in a previous article, this entails to have a factory production and not handmade, and unique pieces. This point is entirely discordant with Dragons Are Real.
Back in 2019, when I was creating Dragons Are Real in my head and in my future studio I knew I had to remain open minded about this adventure: observing, testing, adapting, evolving. My first idea was to offer my dear dragons to you but always with more ideas in my pocket.
This 3 years, I offered a large ranges of toys, accessories for every ages and every persons to see what do you like, what do you need and what I want to make. I took a difficult decision 6 months ago to stop the toys and part of the accessories and decided which direction I am going now. This decision is combining what you like more in my shop, and what I loved to make and explore these last years : rope and plant dyeing !
You are probably wondering what is the link between dragons and baskets ? The name I choose is more subtle. Most people ask me what do I do with Dragons Are Real. So first there is Surprise and Curiosity. Then Interest. I love dragons that is no more a secret. I also like the idea that we don’t really know who or what they are. My creative journey is patterned after what the name Dragons Are Real creates in a person’s mind when they discover it: curiosity, interest. It is my curiosity and my interest for art and craft that nourish my work.
I know, it is a classical one but I make and imagine since I am a child. I remember, aged of 7 making woollen dolls and then sewing them clothes with scraps of fabric. This is an example among other ones. I planned to be a cabinetmaker, an architect, a costume designer, a set designer. Since I am a child I explored and practiced and still do : Painting, drawing, sewing, papier maché, wood work, weaving, knitting, embroidery, beading, linocut, felting, plant dyeing, etc … the list is growing bigger and bigger for my greatest pleasure.
This is a part of me, of who I am so I can’t reduce Dragons Are Real to one box. Also all these experimentations are my tools box. Some of them will remain my activity for private purposes. I don’t want to make a professional activity of all what I like and practice.
Dragons Are Real is starting a new chapter using rope to make baskets and items for home. For a utility purpose or decoration, for storing toys or to embellish your favourite spot in your house. I like to create something timeless that will last many years and could be pass through generations.
Plant dyeing is also taking an important place in this. It is for me a way to include my home, this place I love so much : The Outer Hebrides. Indeed I use the plants that can grow here, or my kitchen waste before to bin them in the compost bucket. I Create and try to preserve the soil, plants, water, life.
I hope this little presentation help you to see and understand what is Dragons Are Real and how I work behind this name. It is not an easy exercise to write and explain with words when my language is made of colours and textures to express myself. I am really enthusiastic to share this with all of you.
During January the shop will be closed but I will post articles on the blog and Instagram to introduce the new items and finally reveal what to expect for this new year. I waited so much for this moment I can’t wait to finally share all of this with you.
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Life, in general, is not a long quiet river. Trying to make a living with art and craft is more like canyoning ! It is a rollercoaster of emotions, a combination (or a competition ?) between sense and sensibility. It is exhausting but I would never go back to my previous life. Because there is something incomparable, terrific and marvellous. It is the chance to observe the world with a new eye everyday. And this year has been exactly like this :
Dragons Are Real is making me happy and I wish to share this beautiful energy with all of you. Embark with me in 2023, the adventure continues !
X
Mathilde
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