We left Flatford at 10.40 Sunday and drove on through the beautiful countryside to Dedham. More spring blooms here than we had seen in Norfolk last week, but I expect our village will catch up very soon, with all this sunshine. Beautiful blue skies. I need to look up Alice Lee - I am embarrassed that I had not heard of her before. The properties, from different centuries, appeared well maintained. An attractive place. That's the house of Alfred Munnings, painter, bottom left. My great grandparents were his housekeeper and handyman for a while. But I'm not sure if they lived in that house!
On to Lavenham, a fantastic place, full of amazing half timbered Tudor houses. Including the Guildhall, another NT property. We enjoyed delicious red pepper and tomato soup in the garden, then looked round the house. Many relatively wealthy people lived here through the centuries, including dyers and weavers. There were lots of examples of their crafts displayed in the upstairs rooms. Look at the gorgeous smocking on this garment!
During lockdown, one of the NT volunteers spent her time researching the dyeing methods which might have been used by the previous residents. She produced a lovely sample book listing all the dyes used, and knitted triangles of bunting in all these various colours. Onion skin, turmeric, carrot tops, woad, ivy leaves, copper, iron, walnut shells...Quote fascinating. I said to the chap on reception "perhaps I should try growing woad..." But he warned me off, apparently it's very invasive!
We walked slowly back to car and drove home. It had been a brilliant break together, and the glitches at the hotel didn't spoil that. We were home by 5pm. Early to bed, a busy week ahead.
What a packed few days, with so much to think about. Did you keep a travel journal?
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't, I'm not very good at that!
DeleteSo glad you had a positive time! I love Dedham. Just realised, we stayed in Dedham, not Flatford!
ReplyDeleteDid you go in the craft shop/tearooms I the old church? It was lovely
DeleteYou had lovely weather for your adventures. Such pretty villages. NT places are such honeypots nowadays, especially at weekends, so wonderful you had an interesting and colourful time (soup and dyeing!) at Lavenham. All the power and prestige of the medieval wool industry in that one building. When I first started spinning - always with undyed single breed British wool tops - I would knit a few sample swatches and mess about dyeing them with onion skins, walnut shells or, for the very best colour, dock root. A long time ago I bought seed of woad and madder from Ditchling museum of arts and crafts where they have a dye garden and run dyeing workshops but after looking up more information the seeds have remained in their brown paper envelopes! It’s fun to experiment with what you have in the kitchen (or are prepared to try and dig up from the garden!) and I have never used alum or anything dangerous in my home dyeing experiments. We once stayed in the Alum Works manager’s house at Ravenscar (a NT holiday property) and goodness what a dangerous process that was to extract the alum - and all to fulfil the Victorian ideals of fashion. Of course since we shipped all our manufacturing to China we do not have to worry about poisoning UK workers anymore. I am a Luddite through and through!
ReplyDeleteSarah in Sussex
Patrick Grant's book talks about recent dye processes which use strong chemicals to fix the colour. He suggests this makes it harder to recycle the fabrics, and suggests we should consider the trad methods, and embrace the way in which the colours fade naturally. Your dyeing sounds great, and I'm glad your garden is not overrun with woad plants
DeleteWonderful smocking. It all looked lovely in the sunshine. A few days rest and recreation work wonders don't they? Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Came back rested and invigorated
DeleteSounds like a wonderful day of sightseeing. My aunt used to smock beautifully. I learned a few basics, but, haven't done smocking in years.
ReplyDeleteI smocked a dress for Liz, but that was 40 years ago. And I made a little smock for a teddy bear for George in 2020... perhaps I should do some more
DeleteLooks like a beautiful time away. I've tried my hand at dyeing different fabrics with things like beets, onion skins, etc. Very fun project!
ReplyDeleteBut time consuming. I think it is a summer project, when things can dry outside in the sunshine
DeleteDefinitely!
DeleteThere are some wonderful places to visit that are managed by NT. I'm glad you enjoyed Lavenham and I'll be adding it to our list of places to visit. That smocking is beautiful.Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThere are stairs to climb, but it is worth it. And the tearoom is excellent - with the option of indoor or outdoor seating.
DeleteWe're having an NT free entry week 15th March onwards? I'll double check and get back to you.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good. We are members, but it is info worth passing on to friends and family. Thank you A x
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DeleteThank you!!!
DeleteI did try smocking, decades ago. I love the fact that naturally dyed colours always go with each other, never seem to clash. I like the gentleness of them. I wonder, though, if there are brilliant dyes to be had from tropical plants?
ReplyDeleteTurmeric? And if course, indigo
DeleteI was fascinated to learn that the second dye from woad was pink.
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing subject , full of surprises
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