In the early 1900s women would organise gatherings on the canal, which were referred to as “flower parties”. These occasions were in fact a cover for women to come together and drink alcohol. The public consumption of alcohol by women was considered socially unacceptable and laws were even passed in court to try and prevent women from drinking in public houses.

Sally collaborated with Natalie Linney to create textile pieces in response to this by taking plants used in the alcohol making process such as hops, barley and sorgum to create designs using natural dye, gelatin printing and screen printing. Together they have produced a range of silk scarves with screen printed detail. 

Natalie Linney Natalie Linney is a textile artist, natural dye specialists and creative practitioner. In 2012 she studied natural dyeing practice during a residency with textile artist Kate Fletcher in Tasmania, Australia, and has since worked with natural dyeing processes to create unique pieces. In her practice, Natalie utilises these ancient dyeing techniques with natural and man-made objects found in the contemporary urban environment to produce entirely unique textile pieces. Working with traditional methods, she creates striking and delicate patterns, which emerge in unpredictable ways to reflect the materials used and the place in which it was produced. talielinseed.co.uk / @talielinseed