'Woad' - The Bleu of Toulouse - Dying Day at Chateau Dumas

The ladies of Chateau Dumas encircled a vat of woad to dye white and natural colored antique linens, t-shirts, bloomers, bits of antique lace, hats and a myriad of silk scarves, yarns, wools and other fibers a magical shade of blue. No one knew just what color blue they would obtain until the piece came out of the ammonia scented vat of greenish dye. Denise, our mentor (and the only woad dyer in the world), with her hands proudly stained blue, led us in the ancient art of woad (or pastel as it is known in France) dying on the grounds of the Chateau. We looked like a coven of bleu worshippers gathered round, gently poking the wovens to the bottom of the vat with our sticks. Or perhaps we were Medevial women on a communal blue wash day soaking in the color of "blue bloods."

The flower of woad is yellow andgrows like a weed in Europe and the British Isles. The color is extracted from treating the leaves. In the 13th - 16th centuries it was used almost exclusively for dying textiles and the recipe was very secret. It fell out of fashion when indigo was brought to Europe, but prior to that it was the color of royalty and the term blueblood comes from it. This dying was primarily done in the Toulouse region of France (which is where we are at the Chateau Dumas in Auty.

The process of extracting the dye is complex and involves a chemical reaction involving oxidation. The acidic urine of men was used as a reactant historically. The ball in the photo is a "Cocagne" which is made from the extracted pulp of the woad which is left to ferment for 4 months. The "paste"that results is rolled into these balls and left to dty out an additional 4 months.

On first dip the textiles come out of the vat a yellowish green and when they hit the air they begin to turn blue. It is impossible to know exactly what shade of Bleu the item will become. We line dried the items in the sun a bit and then dipped them again. A lot of the women bought old fabrics at the flea market to dye and others brought yarn from home or new clothing. We all dressed in our "woad-wear" and took a group photo.

Denise's company is using Woad for paints and cosmetics and all sorts of 'green" applications. For more info. see www.bleu-de-lectoure.com

The 2009 "Chateau Getaway" coordinated by French General was the inaugural trip to craft, antique and luxuriate in the South of France. Contact French General for a schedule of upcoming trips.