The Long and Winding Woad

Last August, you may recall my tale of growing woad in my vegtable patch, which was chopped up and boiled to make woad dye. You might also recall the subtle but somewhat disappointing results. Never one to overlook an opportunity my friend Jude suggested we split the fabrics between us and our Christmas challenge this year would be to make each others presents from the woad dyed fabric.

By October my pieces of fabric dyed during the summer were no longer subtle but had faded to the colour of sludge. Grey, mucky sludge requiring drastic action. There were still woad plants left in the garden, strong and green and so not to be beaten I decided to try again. This time I decided to try a different reducing agent and so I ordered a package of "Spectralite" thinking this might be more reliable. However while I waited for the spectralite to arrive there was trouble afoot!

DECIMATION!!!

And I know who the culprits were...

The hens having been given free range of the garden spotted the strong green woad plants and decided it was a feast for the taking! With no woad left I felt I was well and truely on a woad to nowhere.

You can run away but I know it was you!

So Art Van Go to the rescue...

And my sludge coloured fabrics were transformed to a lovely blue.

And so finally, a little later than planned (i.e. a little later than Christmas) and with a bit of cheating, I used the woad dyed fabrics to make Jude's Christmas present... a customised peg bag...

With a little message...

designed to hold these rather snazzy pegs!

Meanwhile, Jude tried to cut off her thumb to avoid having to do anything with her woad fabrics. A little drastic but it worked! Fortunately it is getting better.