When I begin uploading images like this…..sprigs of eucalypt, colanders and lengths of raw silk or wool….you know that India Flint has drifted in on a breeze to deliver an enchanting day with an eager group of participants…..
The board is chalked with hints to the garden-inspired lunch that awaits….
But first there’s a flourless apple, raisin, almond and ginger cake for our excitable dyers-to-be. (I seem to only dig out this recipe for India’s days – I’m not sure why, but the colours and texture just seem right, though it’s so scrumptious I really ought to make it more often – but perhaps not for the waist line!).
A poem is written….everyone makes a contribution, before settling into a rhythm of stitching and quiet chatter, the odd peal of laughter as new acquaintances are made. Then there is a gathering of materials in the garden…..
Laying out and wrapping the precious discoveries….
before bundling and settling them into India’s cauldrons where she keeps a watchful eye while lunch is lingered over in the loggia.
Everyone unfurls their bundles out on the croquet lawn this time….the scent of eucalypt permeating the air.
The colours delicate this time around….reflecting the time of year after a harsh summer, they’re soft, muted and fragile.
And when the fun is done and everyone’s work hangs over branches or fences, drying in the breeze, India unpacks her travelling carpet bag to show her wares…..like Mary Poppins’ bottomless one of surprises, India’s contains the stuff of dyed-dreams…..wraps and dresses, cloaks and all manner of combinations as everyone’s eyes pop with the possibility of it all.
Another group of inspired dyers? I think so!