To dye for

MAKING natural dyes is a fun way to recycle kitchen waste, hedge trimmings, tree prunings and woodland finds, rejuvenating faded fabric or vintage textiles at the same time. Vegetable dyes usually work best on natural materials and a wonderful varied palette of subtle shades can be created from hundreds of readily available sources. Many of the flowers and leaves that dyers use need a mordant, or fixative, to make them colourfast, but there are plenty of other materials that don’t. If you choose