AN interior designer will be presenting her first-ever solo art exhibition, opening in Ulverston this weekend.

Laura Barnett, who has been running LMB Design in the town for the past 12 years, will see her work go on display at the Coach House Café and Bistro, in Ford Park, Ulverston, from Sunday April 2 to Saturday July 1.

Over the past three years Laura has been slowly branching out into not only selling fabrics but actually producing her own textiles that she then makes up into bespoke lampshades and cushions for the home, or scarves and jewellery to wear.

For this exhibition, entitled Natural Layers, she has created a total of 17 pieces of framed textiles that have been created using three techniques to dye and create patterns on her fabrics, natural, eco and rust dyeing.

Describing the processes she uses to create her artworks, Laura says: "The first part of the process for natural and eco-dyeing involves going for extended walks in the local area where I collect plants, flowers, leaves, bark, moss, nuts and berries from the hedgerow.

"The best times of the year for collecting suitable materials are the summer and autumn, although even in the midst of winter there are still some useful berries, mosses and leaves that can be collected.

"Throughout the year I also keep an eye out for interesting rusted metal objects that are discarded at the roadside that I can use for my rust dyeing. I have quite a collection of rusted nuts, bolts, nails and pieces of metal that have obviously dropped off cars or bits of machinery.


Designer Laura Barnett "For natural dyeing I place the fresh plants and berries that I have collected in boiling water with either salt or vinegar to extract the natural dye I then use to colour fabric, thread, yarn or paper. I only use natural fabrics such as linen, cotton, wool and silk as it takes the colour better and is in keeping with natural colours produced. Silk is one of the best fabrics to use as the colours are very strong and bright.

"However, you have to be a little bit careful as the hot temperatures used when extracting the dye can alter the finish on some silks."

Laura uses a range of different types of pot to heat plants and berries because, depending on the choice of pot used (aluminium, iron, copper or stainless steel) and the fabric selected, a wide range of colours can be produced from the same plants.

In eco-dyeing, instead of creating a solid single colour on a fabric, beautiful imprints of the actual leaves, flowers and berries are created on the fabric.

Again silk produces some of the most stunning effects with very defined effects but using a coarse linen or wool creates equally interesting, almost watercolour and abstract effects that can look very effective.

Probably the most unusual of all the techniques is rust dyeing. With this technique, pieces of fabric are wrapped tightly round rusted metal objects, soaked in tea and then left overnight to dry out. When the packages are opened the next day amazing patterns are left on the fabric. These patterns are not very predictable and each one is truly a one-off as it is impossible to repeat the same effect, even if the same fabric and rusted items are used more than once.

Laura adds: "This is what excites me the most about rust dyeing. So much of my work as an interior designer is about creating perfection, being in control at all times and knowing exactly what the end results will be like for a client.

"When I spend a day rust dyeing I get to leave all of this behind and can enjoy the freedom of the unknown and simply experiment. It can be very exhilarating."

All items in the exhibition at Ford Park are for sale. During the exhibition, Laura also has further work being shown at LMB Design, in Quay Street, which uses the same techniques but made up into cushions and lamp shades to buy for the home.

The showroom is open from Monday to Friday, from 1pm to 5pm, or by appointment at other times.