29th September '17: Natural & beautiful

Welcome to Friday, folks ❤️🍊☀️👒👕👾🕺🏻
I spotted these worry dolls in Covent Garden yesterday. They made an impression on me for two reasons: firstly, because I’m one of life’s prolific worriers and ought to own an entire population of these little chaps; and secondly, because I think the colours of the Guatemalan fabric they’re made from are utterly delicious, not least because they traditionally come from natural dyes. Dyes used in Guatemala include hilamo (reddish-brown), coconut shell (pinky-beige), St John’s wort (yellow) and cochineal (wine coloured). Then there’s the sacatincta plant which produces different colours from blue to grey to charcoal, depending on how long the yarn is boiled in it for. The thought of this colour alchemy excites me so much, a bit like the thrill I feel when I find unusual coloured sand, rocks or shells and have one of those wondrous ‘Look what nature’s only gone and done?!!!’ moments. I love the idea that people mashing up plants and seeds can lead to such prodigious beauty.
Martha, The Colour File x 
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