Silk ‘n’ Things brings eco printing to her clothing range

Old Bus Depot Markets stallholder, Silk 'n' ThingsSonia from Silk ‘n’ Things is well known at the markets for creating fabulous garments for women, and she’s been doing so almost since the markets’ inception. Recently she’s taken up eco printing and dyeing on fine merino wool, and the results are impressive.

Sonia has dabbled in textiles in some form for the last 40 – 50 years, her mother taught her the basics and she’s developed her own style over the years, most recently picking up the skill of eco printing and dyeing. She uses fine merino wool and undertakes natural dyeing using primarily vegetable matter. No chemical dyes or inks are used and instead certain types of leaves are enclosed in the wool and immersed in hot water to extract the pigment. This transfers the image of the leaves onto the wool naturally. Sonia then uses the wools to create her interesting women’s garments which she says are particularly suitable for the fuller figured woman. Clothing includes long coats and her popular four-way wraps.

You can check out Sonia’s latest work most Sundays of the year, and catch up with her at the upcoming A Celebration of Wool on Sunday 15 May.