Since childhood, I have always been fascinated by the texture of fabric and its ability to be embellished, coloured and manipulated to create different forms and shapes. After studying conventional methods of dyeing at college, a life threatening illness led me to question the relative toxicity of the chemicals needed and I turned to plant and mineral colours, although the mordants used with these also have to be handled carefully. What I appreciated most was the unpredictability of natural dyes, their subtlety of colour and the alchemy involved. Besides, these dyes had evolved traditionally from earth, rocks and plants and the whole process of extracting their colours is more natural and exciting.
