Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 161
T H E N AT U R A L D Y E R
Offering a healthier, eco-friendly alternative to chemically dyed
textiles, Babs Behan uses homegrown and foraged plants to create
naturally coloured clothes and home accessories
W
hen Alaska Airlines introduced a
high-performance, synthetic uniform
in 2011, hundreds of flight attendants began
reporting dermatological, respiratory and allergic
issues – some so severe they required emergency
hospital treatment. Tests on the clothing found the
fibres contained a cocktail of chemicals, including
lead, arsenic, formaldehyde and toxic dyes believed
to cause cancer. A Harvard report subsequently
proved that the medical issues were linked
to the clothes.
The uniforms were replaced, but this story
of aircrew becoming sick played out again and
again, as other airlines across the US replaced
conventional wool uniforms with synthetic,
brightly coloured new ones, layered with
anti-wrinkle, stain-resistant and flame-retardant
textile technology.
It is a theme Babs Behan is all too familiar
with. A natural dyer who uses locally foraged
and garden-grown plants to colour fabrics in the
long-standing tradition, she is well-researched in
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