Colour and textiles are my heart story, it's in my blood

My journey into natural dyeing began in the kitchen,' recalls Siân Cornish, founder of Lancaster & Cornish.

- HOLLY REANEY

Siân Cornish, expert in natural dyes

'I started with teas - black tea, redbush and herbal varieties - and fell in love with the instant joy you feel when creating colour from nature.'

Siân has had a lifelong passion for colour and texture, ignited by her mother's love of fabric and fashion, which always filled the home when she was growing up. Even when studying environmental science, it was the colours and textures of thin sections of rocks under the microscope that made her heart sing. I spent a decade working in the construction industry, but underneath it there has always been this quiet thread of textiles and colour - I honestly believe it's my heart story.'

After redundancy in 2015, Siân drew on her love of textiles and sustainability to found Lancaster & Cornish, which at the time specialised in buying and selling organic fabrics. Unbeknown to her, the family connection ran deeper than just the company's name (a marrying of her maiden name, Lancaster, and married name, Cornish). 'Shortly after launching the business, my Aunty Eileen told me about my cotton weaver ancestors in the Lancaster cotton mills and how my grandfather and his relatives opened a fabric shop - DM Lancaster - in Manchester in the early 1900s. It was quite the surprise to find out that this lifelong passion was very much in my blood.'