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Do you want to support the creation of new green spaces? Do you want to meet people who share your passion for sustainability and to learn traditional skills?

Posted: 21st April 2021

Do you want to support the creation of new green spaces? Do you want to meet people who share your passion for sustainability and to learn traditional skills?

If so, we want you to join us in a ground-breaking sustainable fashion project, happening right here in Blackburn, where we become the first town in modern times to grow its own clothes!

We plan to turn unused land in the town into a field of flax and woad. From the flax we’ll spin and weave linen, and from the woad we’ll make natural indigo dye. We will use this to make denim and some great sustainable clothing as well as making new habitats for wildlife and improving our outdoor spaces. We’re looking for volunteers to help us with the whole process from sowing the seeds during the spring to harvesting our flax and woad in the autumn. We will then be using ancient methods of preparing and extracting the linen and the indigo and learning how to spin, weave and dye the cloth. If this is something you would like to help with.

Homegrown Homespun is a collaboration with designer Patrick Grant, his social enterprise Community Clothing, The Super Slow Way and North West England Fibreshed

If you’d like to get involved we’ll be running volunteer sessions every Friday from 10 – 12 between now and September as well as a number of workshop’s in natural dying, hand spinning and weaving (full list below). The regular Friday sessions are open to all and you can join the Homegrown, Homespun Whatsapp group here to keep in touch with times and dates. All workshops are free but numbers are limited so booking is required via email.

Friday 21st May 21st – Wood chipping and creation of paths / bagging flax  seeds 10 – 12pm (drop in)
Friday 28th May – Clearing day 10 – 12pm (drop in)
Monday 31st May –  Half term workshop – spinning 10 -12.30 / 1.30 – 3.30 (booking required)
Wednesday 2nd June – Half term workshop – Natural Dyeing 10 -12 / 1 – 3 (booking required)
Friday 4th June –  Half term workshop – Hand weaving 10 -12.30 / 1.30 – 3.30 (booking required)
Friday 11th June 11th – Plant a dye garden 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 25th June –  Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 2nd July –  Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 9th July – Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 16th July – Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday July 23rd – Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday July 30th – Weeding / clearing 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 6th Aug – Pulling flax 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 13th Aug  – Retting flax 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 20th Aug – Retting flax 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 27th August Retting flax 10 – 12 (drop in)
Friday 3rd September – Retting flax 10 – 12 (drop in)

The Homegrown, Homespun site is at:

Jan’s Conference Centre, Higher Audley Street, BB1 1DH
Parking available on site.
Please wear a face mask and maintain social distancing rules.

If you would like to join us please call or email : Uzma: 07922 487950 / uzma@superslowway.org.uk and join the whatsapp group here to get regular updates on activities and events

If you’d like to receive future updates about both the British Textile Biennial and the Homegrown, Homespun project sign up for our mailing list here.

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