Botanical Fibre

How a piece moves through the studio

Dyeing and knotting run on their own clocks. Here is the order we actually follow, from the first conversation to the day a hanging leaves the Woodstock bench.

  1. Week one

    Brief and fibre choice

    We talk through the wall, the light and how the piece will be used. Hemp cord for structure and weight, linen for a softer drape, cotton when the client wants an even, matte finish. Swatches go out before anything is cut.

  2. Weeks two to three

    Dye baths and oxidation

    Onion skin, madder root or indigo, depending on the tone we agreed. Indigo needs rest between dips so the colour can oxidise, which is why a deep blue panel can take a fortnight on its own. Wet samples are photographed and sent as the batch develops.

  3. Week four

    Knotting on the bench

    Square knots, half hitches and loose fringes, worked row by row. Large commissions are built in sections so the cord keeps an even tension across three metres or more. This is the slowest part and the one we do not rush.

  4. Final days

    Finishing and hanging

    Ends are trimmed and sealed, dowels sanded and oiled, and the piece is hung in the studio for a day to check how it falls. Offcuts from the trim become small plant holders, which is why almost nothing leaves as waste.

  5. Handover

    Care notes and the next batch

    Every commission leaves with written care notes: cold hand wash, dry in shade, expect madder to deepen with the first few washes. We keep the dye recipe on file, so a later piece can be matched to the same batch.

What the studio method actually gives you

Every stage on this page exists because it changes the finished piece, the timing, or what you take home. Here is what that means in practice, from the first dye bath to the last knot.

Botanical Fibre method

  • Dye notes you can repeat

    Onion skin, madder root and indigo behave differently in every bath. We log the temperature, the mordant and the dip count, so a colour you liked in March can be mixed again for a second cushion cover or a replacement panel.

  • Eight benches, no crowd

    Saturday sessions cap at eight people because dye pots and drying lines take space. You get your own bench, a set of cords, and enough room to finish a wall hanging or two plant hangers before the afternoon ends.

  • Materials included, pieces go home

    Hemp, linen and cotton cord, dye materials, dowels and finishing wax are part of the session. Nothing is sold separately at the end, and whatever you knot on the day leaves with you.

  • Commissions quoted per square metre

    Restaurants, guesthouses and stylists usually need a fixed size rather than a fixed piece. We measure the wall or table run, agree the knot density, and quote by area so the scope stays clear before any cord is cut.

  • Offcuts become small plant holders

    Short lengths from larger commissions are too good to bin. They are knotted into small holders and kept in a basket at the studio door, which also keeps the waste from a three-metre panel down to a handful of trimmings.

If you want the full sequence before booking, read the studio overview, or write to us at info@botanicalfibreart.com with your wall size and preferred dye family.

What We Mean, Precisely

Dye work and hand knotting leave room for interpretation, so here is how we define the terms we use across commissions, workshops and studio sales. Read this before you brief us, and most of the back-and-forth disappears.

Colour is a range, not a swatch

Madder root, onion skin and indigo shift with water, season and how long the fibre sits in the bath. We match the tone family you approved, not a pixel-exact repeat. Two panels from the same vat will still differ slightly, and that is the point of plant dye.

Commissions are quoted per square metre

A wall hanging, a room divider or a set of covers is measured on the finished surface, not on the cord we buy. Knot density, fringe length and dye complexity are agreed in writing before the first knot. Anything outside that written scope is a new quote.

Workshop benches are limited to eight

Saturday sessions in the Woodstock space hold eight people because dye baths and shared tables need elbow room. Materials are included and the piece you finish goes home with you. If you cannot attend, tell us before the session so the bench can be passed on.

Offcuts are not waste

Short lengths of hemp and linen cord from larger commissions become small plant holders sold at the studio door. They are one-offs, not a stocked product line, so the colour and size you see is the colour and size available.

Natural dye fades on purpose

Indigo and madder soften with light and washing. We tell you this up front because a piece that looks different after a year is behaving correctly. Keep dyed textiles out of direct afternoon sun and wash them cold, by hand, with a pH-neutral soap.

Timelines follow the dye, not the calendar

A large indigo panel can take two to three weeks because each dip needs to oxidise fully before the next. We give you a realistic window when the brief is signed off, and we tell you early if a batch is not reading the way we want.

Questions about a specific brief, a dye batch or a bench booking go to info@botanicalfibreart.com or +27 33 498 7516. The studio is at 31387 Maree Street, Lake Leigh, FS 6238.

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