Dyeing Wool for Flocked Wallpaper with Adelphi Paper Hanging.

This past year we have been working with Steve Larson of Adelphi Paper Hanging in Sharon Springs, NY to dye the yarn that they needed to create reproduction wallpaper for Strawberry Hill House in London. The yarn needed to match a small fragment of existing wallpaper and the dyes used needed to be appropriate to the 18th c. - in this case madder, with a little cutch to make it browner. Our end of the job was fairly straightforward but Steve needed to be pretty creative in figuring out how to chop dyed skeins into the fine dust-like material that was used for the flocking!   The following photos show just a little bit of how labor intensive and tedious this process really is. But the end product was definitely worth it!

The sample of 18th c. wall paper from Strawberry Hill in London

The yarn ready for scouring.

Kate at the scouring tub.

Zoe doing the mordanting with Alum and Cream of Tartar.

The finished madder dyed yarn.

Pressing the panels at Adelphi Paper Hanging.

Spreading the cut yarn for the flocking.

Detail of the press.

Applying the varnish glue.

Finished panels drying.

A section ready for the flocking.

Applying the block.

Close-up of the finished panel.