Winter Journal: Behind the Winter '24–'25 Wear Tinctorium Collection

Each season brings its own rhythms and materials into the dye studio, and winter is no exception. While much of the natural world slows down or goes dormant, a special group of resilient evergreen plants remains vibrant—and it's with these that I create the Wear Tinctorium Winter ‘24–’25 collection.

Working with Winter Evergreens in Portugal

Winter dyeing began just before Christmas, around the time of the winter solstice on December 21st. While many artisans wind down for a seasonal rest, my dye pots were only beginning to simmer. I was drawn to the evergreen species that thrive even in the colder months—plants that not only endure winter, but carry rich dye potential.  

Among them:

• Eucalyptus – Widely naturalized in Portugal, and often hated-on because of the monoculture of thin Eucalyptus globulus that proliferates the country for the paper industry and makes Portugal even more fire-prone. There are 700+ species of eucalyptus, all more interesting to the dyer than Globulus. 

• Acacia – Another common sight in Portugal’s landscape that people love to hate. This nitrogen-fixing plant was first introduced to improve soils, but lack of management has made it invasive and very easily findable.

• Grevillea – Though not native, this ornamental evergreen is often planted in public parks and roadsides. The trees get incredibly tall and normally only the naturally wind-blown leaves are available to collect off the ground. 

• Cypress – Symbolic and structural in Portuguese hedgerows and cemeteries, with fine, detailed foliage that transfers beautiful, lace-like prints.

• Pistacia lentiscus – A native Mediterranean shrub with glossy leaves and a subtle dye profile.

• Schinus molle – I won’t lie, this is visually my favorite tree ever and it gives the most perfect prints.  You’ve probably already eaten some of the pink peppercorns from this tree that can be purchased in any supermarket pepper mix.

• Casuarina – Planted throughout Portugal in public parks, roadsides, and as fencing. This wispy, pine-like tree offers defined texture in eco-prints. I often describe it as looking like a pine tree with a bed head. 

Winter storms were particularly helpful to bringing down so much potential color. I actually only finished harvesting well into March after storm Martinho brought down many of my ‘winter plants’. I’ll be busy during the year with all the seasonally-relevant plants and these plants will be my primary material for ‘25-’26 winter pieces!

A Red Breakthrough

The days between Christmas and New Year's brought a breakthrough: consistent red prints from eucalyptus. If you follow my work online, you probably caught my excitement. It felt like a rite of passage—finally understanding the mysterious alchemy required to achieve those vivid reds.

From January through March, I entered full experimentation mode: sourcing wool fabrics, refining mordanting methods, and tuning in to the nuances of steam times, fabric preparation, and temperature. Slowly, I began reincorporating other winter evergreens, testing their reactions within these newly validated parameters.

A Season of Study and Intuition

This collection is the result of quiet, focused winter study—a season spent getting to know wool more intimately, observing how these winter plants behave in different conditions, and above all, building a relationship with the land around me.

And the secret to those red eucalyptus prints? It’s nothing complicated. Just the long, patient work of getting to know the plants, testing species after species to discover which ones hold that red magic.