New Custard Factory Website

The Custard Factory has a new website in the shape of a blog www.custardfactory.com. The woad website got a mention under Ducks & Woad

Woad website

We have done a great deal of work on the woad website. It is now hosted by 1&1 as www.woad.org.uk. There are new photos, better instructions and new subjects. We also have a shopping cart selling woad powder and woad seeds. We welcome your comments

Woad Yield

Instead of decanting the woad pigment in coffee jars, I have experimented using filter paper. I was very impressed with the results. With decanting, I was obtaining between 1 and 1.5 g of woad powder from a kilo of leaves, with the filter paper the yield has shot up to 3.7g of powder for 1 kg of leaves! It has to be proper filter paper, used in chemistry. In the past I have tried various coffee filters, and even a car pollen filter, the pigment went straight through.

Gardeners Weekend

Talked to nearly 2000 visitors about woad and other dye plants. Even 007 and the Mayor of Birmingham came to see us. The visitors were very impressed that you could get such a beautiful blue from a plant that looked like spinach.