Renaissance Period Dyed Wool

Folks who like to do Jacobean-style crewel embroidery and those who create historic costumes for the 16th Century already know about Renaissance Dyeing's wools, but for those of us who don't fit into either category or want to learn a bit about dyeing threads, here is a wonderful interview that talks about the natural dyes the company uses to create historic reproduction wools.
http://www.theunbrokenthread.com/blog/2013/06/13/renaissance-dyeing-and-bateau-bayeux/

The second link below is the Renaissance Dyeing website.  It is a great deal of fun to explore.  See the wool colors that Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, and their contemporaries would have seen every day!
http://www.renaissancedyeing.com/en/

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

White Indigo, Woad, and Dyeing Magic

I'm always interested to learn more about how threads are dyed. We have many beautiful threads available to us, but much of the process is a trade secret, so it is nice to find a manufacturer (Renaissance Dyeing, which sells wool for embroiders) who is willing to talk about their process, especially since they are dyeing the old-fashioned way. I can imagine 16th Century embroiders buying blue wool made in just this way.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2011/09/dyeing-with-woad-in-the-south-of-france.html

Mary's found some followup information on woad and dyeing, plus bonus material on making pins.  Fascinating!
http://www.needlenthread.com/2011/09/pins-and-woad-dyeing-of-textiles.html


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com