Based on information taken from the book ‘The Celtic Wisdom of Trees’ by Jane Gifford, about the tree associated with my birth date – the Elder. The associations are dark, with reminders of ‘death’ and ‘the inevitable’, witches hide in their trunks and the wood will not burn well: associated colours are dark green and black! However it isn’t all bad news – the tree has healing properties and it provided elder flowers to make cordial or champagne. The berries also make a good natural dye with alum and salt used as mordants.

Cotton and silk fabrics and silk floss – some dyed: machine piecing, applique, free-machine quilting and hand beading.