Blog — Eco Friendly Living

The  American black walnut has a high concentration of juglone, the compound which produces the dye pigments. 

It is acid free, lightfast, stable, reliable and water soluble. The colour ranges from pale sepia, golden brown to dark brown. Unlike some natural inks, the colour strengthens with time.

Find out how to make this wonderful ink at home with foraged walnuts. 

The source of the yarn for the organic textiles, the choice of dye materials, the foraging sites and the water to make the natural colours are equally important for us at Juniper & Bliss in creating pieces that are “pure” to the core.   

  The impact on the environment of our patterns of consumption (food, fuel and fashion) is complex. How to reduce food waste, amongst other changes in the way we live concern us all as we navigate the choppy waters of sustainability and mindful living. We know that fifth to a quarter  of the food bought by UK household consumers amounts to a staggering 70% of all food waste, whilst the remaining 30% is happening in the hospitality & food service (HaFS), food manufacture, retail and wholesale sectors.   At the same time, we are keenly aware of the environmental impact of fashion, especially...

With high drama and absolute decadence, the cow parsley ushers in the Summer Solstice, when the earth is at its closet point to the sun and every living thing on the face of the earth is soaked in light. It reminds us to rejoice and celebrate light. For natural dyers, the long days are for work, planning and preparing for the year ahead because once the heady show is over, so is our source of colour.

Despite the apparent bleakness, winter is a treasure-trove of natural dyes which we forage and store in the Juniper & Bliss studio for use throughout the year. We make naturally dyed sustainable pieces for eco friendly homes and slow living spaces. Today I want to explore the wonderful properties of the alder tree (Alnus glutinosa). The flowers that turn into small woody cone-like fruits, the double serrated leaves and the dark, fissured bark often mottled with lichen are staples in our larder.

Alder trees against a clear winter sky

As More of us are signing up to the benefits of slow living we are confronted with a myriad of issues and complexities when coming to make simple decisions.