SOURCING STORY 02: MASTER OF PLANT-DYES

Her Plant Palette

TURMERIC delivers rich golden yellows. The root gives up its color easily

MADDER ROOT is the queen of reds. This climbing plant's roots produce everything from coral to deep burgundy, depending on how Judith works her magic.

COREOPSIS blooms bright yellow in the garden, then gives that same cheerful color to wool. It's one of the most lightfast yellows in the plant world.

MUSHROOMS surprise people. Different fungi create unexpected colors—soft pinks, warm browns, even subtle greens that you'd never guess came from the forest floor.

ONION SKINS might seem humble, but they're workhorses. Yellow onions make golden yellows, red onions create peachy tones. Zero waste, maximum color.

INDIGO is the rebel. Unlike other dyes, it needs a fermented vat and works through oxidation. The wool comes out green, then turns blue as oxygen hits it. Pure alchemy.

BLACK WALNUT created rich browns and doesn't need mordants—the tannins in the hulls bond directly to wool.

WOAD was Europe's blue before indigo arrived. It makes a softer, grayer blue than its tropical cousin.

The Real Magic

What makes Judith's work special isn't just the plants—it's the decades of experience. She understands how slight changes in temperature, timing, and technique can completely transform a color. Her dye hut is part laboratory, part artist's studio—filled with carefully labeled jars and the wisdom that only comes from years of practice.

Each batch is unique. Even using the same recipe, slight variations in weather, water, or wool create subtle differences. This is why our fabrics have that alive quality—they carry the story of their making in every fiber.

Golden turmeric powder in its wooden bowl, next to wool that's captured every bit of that sunny color. Dried indigo leaves looking like forgotten tea, while the wool beside them glows in impossible blues and greens.

This is where you see Judith's work pay off. Simple plant materials become permanent color, each strand of wool carrying the story of its transformation.