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Discover FelinFach. Welsh Blankets, Welsh tapestry blankets, hand dyed yarn and other natural textiles. Maker of handmade candles.
FelinFach (meaning ‘little mill’ in Welsh) is based in a 200 year old former flour mill in Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK. Designing and making wool products and handmade candles including Welsh tapestry blankets, Welsh blankets, hand dyed yarn, handmade candles, reed diffusers, tealights and wax melts . Gift Cards and Welsh gifts.
FelinFach Natural Textiles – founder, Karen Morgan’s story:
I started my yarn and fabric journey a long time ago (I have been dyeing wool, knitting, sewing and quilting for longer than I care to remember and certainly willing to tell!) and as my life changed with the arrival of my children and my career in the finance sector taking more of my time it was set aside and revisited many times. My children are adults now making their own way in life and I am in the lucky position of being able to take up my journey once more. I can spend more time on my favourite pastime, designing Welsh blankets and throws, Welsh tapestry blankets, handmade quilts, soft furnishings, endless possibilities! But I can also delve into the world of natural dyes – FelinFach has come to life…
Traditional weaving
My interest was – and still is – weaving, we are fortunate to have a few mills still producing fine cloth in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire that still weave on 1930’s Dobbcross looms, see below. The weavers joined the mills as an apprentice and never left, one weaver is second generation at his mill. They are totally immersed in the wonder of producing beautiful fabric still using the looms they were trained on many years ago. Their knowledge is immense, I always enjoy a visit to the mills going through our designs and colour choices for the coming year weaving diary. These are skills that need to be kept alive and passed on to future generations, not to be lost.
Felinfach Hand Dyed – hand dyed with 100% natural dyes
As with most things FelinFach is always evolving and growing into new areas that are still all linked to our main ideals, NATURAL TRADITIONAL HANDMADE. When I struggled to find that colour, shade or tone that was in my thoughts I decided to dye the yarn myself. I started with the commonly used synthetic acid dyes but found the colours too harsh and not what I had in mind. I turned to the 100% natural dyes, a more time-consuming method with a few more stages but the rewards for your patience make it worthwhile. The colours are enthralling, each will depend on where the dyestuff was grown, how it was harvested, the fibres being dyed, and the method of application used by the dyer. Even when using one of my tried and tested recipes the dyestuff can produce a different colour. This is part of the charm of natural dyeing never quite knowing what the results will be and usually being pleasantly surprised!
So, I now dye my yarn from plant to dye pot, a natural progression from dyeing yarn was to dye, block and screen print my fabric. Why not? Not as straight forward as it sounds – going from the dye pot to paint and ink. To convert dyestuff into ink or paint at the correct consistency, as well as all the prep work for the fabric and making the fixing agents is time consuming. Then there is the patience needed waiting for the fabric to cure before you can see the result! The Indigo vat is a challenge and process of its own also worthwhile for the results can be stunning and I don’t need to wait too long! Being self-taught I have honed my skills and knowledge which has led to workshops in the UK and as far as North America. These various week-long or more events were rewarding both in knowledge and meeting new like-minded people who have become friends. I work with natural fibres such as wool, silk, cotton, linen, hemp. I use the traditional dyes of madder, indigo, cutch, lac, logwood etc. and natural mordants, modifiers and tannins.
Yarn
Our yarn is Welsh wool from a local farm or British wool from a British spinning mill and using the natural plant based dyes, I create hand dyed yarn. Whenever I can I source my supplies from UK companies. FelinFach blankets and throws are woven in Wales in limited numbers using skills of yesteryear. I use my fabric to make cushions, throws, wall hangings I make my own book-cloth using a Japanese paper as a stabiliser to case in my notebooks. The more you work with natural products the more paths come before you, but they are a natural progression from one art-form to another. Our next new challenge is to grow our own dye garden! I hope to continue and see where this takes me and maybe you can follow my journey from the products made available on my website.
Karen Morgan Founder, FelinFach Natural Textiles.
Craft Courses
NATURAL DYEING CRAFT COURSES
Learn how to hand dye protein (animal) or cellulose (plant) fibres using the traditional natural dyes. The craft courses are a hands on learning experience using ancient dyes such as Madder, Weld, and Cochineal, to name a few, in their natural form as well as extract. You will leave with the knowledge to dye yarn and fabrics with lasting colour successfully to use in your projects at home. Located in the north Pembrokeshire countryside, our hands-on craft courses are held in a purpose designed Dye Studio. These courses are suitable for complete beginners and those that have a little experience. They are the foundation blocks of good practice for you to build and develop your own natural dye journey.
There is a beauty and depth of colour to natural dye that becomes more beautiful with age. These courses opens the door to that world of colour and you will be amazed at the colours you will be able to produce using Nature and a little knowledge!
EXPERIENCED TUTOR
All the yarn and scarves for sale on this website have been hand dyed with natural dyes by the Tutor of these craft courses – Hand Dyed Yarn – Hand Dyed Scarves. See Feature in The Knitter magazine on hand dyeing in the FelinFach Dye Studio – Click here…
The courses have one Tutor and a maximum number of six students. Spaces are limited to ensure you receive as much guidance as you need. We guarantee to hold each course irrespective of the number of students unless there is some unavoidable reason to cancel.
- Introduction Workshop (protein fibres) – 1 day
- Introduction Workshop (cellulose fibres) – 1 day
- Introduction Workshops (protein and cellulose fibres combined) – 2 days
WHAT TO EXPECT – PRACTICAL HANDS-ON TUITION
You will experience 6 hours of guided tuition on Dyeing Yarn and Cellulose fibres using natural dyes. Your tutor will guide you through the basic principles and practice of natural dyeing using, for example, madder, cutch, logwood and others. Your Tutor will take you through the practical steps of natural dyeing from start to finish as well as creating the foundations for more advanced processes. The workshop includes all the necessary materials, including yarn, cellulose fibres and equipment.
You will take away from the workshop a number of skeins of yarn or cellulose fibres that you have personally dyed. You will also have your Dye Journal Notebook and a file of information covering what you have learnt during the day.
HOW TO BOOK
Click on the the craft course you’re interested in from the list below:
- Introduction Workshop (protein fibres) – 1 day
- Introduction Workshop (cellulose fibres) – 1 day
- Introduction Workshops (protein and cellulose fibres combined) – 2 days
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Find Felinfach welsh blankets in the Ethical Shopping, Ethical Homeware UK and Ethical Gifts categories of the From Britain with Love Directory
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