SHADES OF NATURE
Concerned about the impact synthetic dyes have on our health and the environment, Nicola Cliffe has developed her own range of textiles, delicately printed in plant-based hues
Nicola Cliffe has developed her own range of textiles, printing them in natural plant-based dyes
acquiring a dog made all the difference to Nicola Cliffe, whose fabric business used to take up every waking moment before the four-legged addition to the family. When you meet Ernie, a
Parsons Russell terrier, you can see why he would be the perfect distraction for a workaholic. Full of energy and character, he is also a handsome addition to photo shoots for Nicola’s business, blending in with the natural colours of the soft furnishings and accessories that make up the Madder Cutch & Co range.
“If you want to know the secret of a work-life balance, I’d say, ‘Get a dog,’” Nicola laughs. “I never had one before, but I’ve met so many new and interesting people when out walking – I know all the dogs’ names, though not necessarily the owners!” In addition to meeting other walkers, strolling through the meadows near her home in the Georgian town of Stamford in Lincolnshire also gives Nicola time to think, quite literally, outside ‘the box’ – the name she has given the studio in her garden. This is where she turns her plant drawings into simple, flowing repeat patterns transferred onto linen that is woven in Scotland. The 10 x 5 metre space contains everything she needs – storage for samples and reference books, drawing materials, screens, dye pots and pastes – plus a family gym at one end, which is useful for letting off steam if a paint recipe goes wrong. The windows look out on a half-acre garden where Nicola grows several of the plants that feature in her work and which offer inspiration for the natural dyes she mixes
to provide her beautiful muted colours. Natural plant dyes, and pigments such as charcoal, are Nicola’s passion, while William Morris provides her inspiration. “My designs echo the philosophy of the Arts and Craft movement, which moved away from the brightly coloured textiles of Victoriana,” she explains.
The craftsmen of that period – which focused on decorative and fine arts – produced exquisite work before the invention of synthetic colours, and Nicola is evangelistic about following their example: “I love the imperfections, and the way all the colours sit together, as they do in nature.” She refers to Morris, who wrote in 1889, “The art of dyeing, I am bound to say, is a difficult one, needing for its practice a good craftsman, with plenty of experience. Matching a colour by means of it is an agreeable but somewhat anxious game to play.” Appropriately, Nicola lives in a 1904 Arts and Crafts house, with her husband Jonathan and youngest son, Bertie, 16.
It’s not simply for nostalgic reasons that Nicola has such a strong aversion to synthetic dyes. Before she started her business, she was a chemistry teacher for 18 years at Stamford School (where she taught her two older sons, George, now 26, and Ted, 23). It was while studying for her chemistry degree that she became aware of poor regulation in the Asian textile industry and, as a result, the potential damage to human health and the environment. In order to learn more, when she left the classroom in 2014 to study at Chelsea College of Art and Design, she pursued the theme of sustainable textile production, gaining an MA with distinction. Wanting a practical application for what she’d learnt, she used the savings from her teaching salary to help fund her business. The first year was a time spent experimenting with linens, colours, techniques and patterns, building a website, devising a logo and, the fun part, choosing a name. The word ‘madder’ came straightaway, as it’s a favourite plant widely used in dyeing. ‘Cutch’ is short for ‘catechu’, a shade of brown derived from the acacia tree: “I liked the sound of the words together.”
She launched a collection in October 2016, featuring Achillea millefolium, or yarrow, which grows in her garden: “I drew it not knowing what it was and wanted to identify it.” Now the fern-like foliage and dense clusters of tiny flowers adorn everything from pencil cases and notebooks to cushions, curtains and quilts. “My aim has always been to print fabric by the metre, so I made the