Three Storey Design by Claire Mellalieu

I am passionate about reducing the environmental impact when creating a product and fascinated by using traditional techniques to produce colour and prints from nature. Growing colours from flowers and plants in my back yard in Whalley Range, Manchester is my reclaimed love for the natural world. My interest extends to how nature aids our wellbeing. I use French Lavender throughout my work as it is known for its many natural health benefits.

Three Storey Design is my love of all things creative. Where I design, dye, and produce handcrafted products, using natural botanical extract dyes, flowers, and plants on natural silk & cotton fabrics.

Fabrics are prepared by scouring and mordanting. Scouring is simmering fabric in water to remove soluble and insoluble impurities like oils, waxes and dirt found in natural textiles. Mordanting is preparing fibres to accept colour and ensure fabric is durable and has long lasting colours. Different mordants are used on cellulose fibres (cotton, linen) to that of protein or animal fibres (silk, wool). Silk prints are created by bundle dyeing. Wrapping plant materials and sometimes mixing the media with extract dyes. Bundle dyes are often steamed or put in a
plastic bag and left to naturally develop. Unwrapping the bundle is the most exciting stage. Bundle dyeing is completely unpredictable, which is where the beauty lies. Cotton jersey prints are designed from forms of nature. Extract dyes are sprayed over handmade stencils and fabric creating clean simplistic floral and leaf prints. Embroidery is used to embellish some products.

The beauty of using natural dyes from flowers and plants is the discovery and benefits they bring to our life.