ARTIST PROFILE – Joan Marshall

Spinning natural fibres and dyeing them with flowers and leaves from my garden has been a passion of mine for many years. I grow plants specifically for dyeing my spun yarn. I find it very satisfying to see a beautiful colour emerge from the dye pot knowing that no harm has been done to the environment in the process.

More recently I have been using Eucalyptus leaves to print onto up-cycled cotton fabric to make table runners and bags. Another newer eco dyeing venture of mine is printing cards with flowers and leaves with some delightful and surprising results.

The available natural fibres to spin are many and varied including wool, alpaca, camel, and silk. Other interesting fibres spun recently include bamboo, nettle, and banana. I usually knit beanies with the spun yarn.