DYEING
Bristol's Wool & Dyeing Heritage
In the 13th century wool was a major trade commodity in Bristol. Wool was sent to Bristol from the Mendip Hills in Somerset and imported from Ireland to be woven and dyed before being exported. Customs records of ships coming to Bristol in the 16th century list cargos of woad (a plant yielding a blue dye) and wool. The Scarlet Lychnis, 
a flower introduced in medieval times, became known as the "flower of Bristowe" (an old name for Bristol) and may have been used for dyeing wool. By the 18th century the cloth trade had moved away from Bristol to northern towns such as Lancaster.
What we did
Young people from Hartcliffe secondary school, the BS13 and E2E projects and those attending an open session, tie dyed Heritage Lottery t-shirts with cold water dyes and natural dyes made from turmeric, onion skins, raspberries and tea.
Resources
- R.Buchanan, A Dyers Garden: From Plants to Pot Growing Dyes for Natural Fibers, 1995.
- Dylon cold water dyes and fixes which are available from chemists and hardware shops are easy to use
To do your own tie dyeing