Beautifully soft peace silk scarf, hand dyed with  green tea and iron and hand printed with wisteria and acer palmatum leaves [SC162].
 
The 'peace' silk used in this scarf is ethical and sustainable. It is made from silk thread generated  from silk worms fed on organic mulberry leaves in Hertfordshire. Unlike mass-produced silk, peace silk thread is not extracted from the worms' cocoons until the metamorphosis is complete and the moth breaks free. No hormones are used to accelerate the worms' growth.
 
The cloth is woven in the UK and Europe, and no detergents or bleaches are used in the production process. .
 
In making this scarf, the peace silk was soaked for a few hours in green tea, which has a high tannin content. After placing the wisteria and acer palmatum leaves and daisies  on it, freshly picked from my garden, the scarf was bundled tightly with a carrier cloth soaked in mild iron solution. The bundle was then steamed in my trusty fish kettle for 70 minutes to release the plant pigments.
 
The tannin-iron interaction fixes the pigments naturally  in the scarf so that they are light- and wash-fast.
 
Due to the individual nature of the hand crafted process by which these unique scarves are made, the precise details of the scarf design and colour tone may vary slightly from this photograph.
 
Approx 140cm x 33cm.
 
Packaged in an elegant, ecofriendly By Maggie Naturally presentation box.