I thought I might just do an update on the work
I'm doing with the students at ALfA. They are so lucky to have such a hands-on education. The growing and processing of Flax used to be such an big part of Irish industry, and it is SO important that the knowledge survives and that we play a part in reviving this cottage industry, producing quality Irish Linen.
Irish students from the ALFA Project in County Clare have now harvested the flax which was planted earlier this year by their parents. They will process the fibres using traditional methods and tools they make themselves.
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| Operation Flax |
During this whole process, the students study the history of the linen industry in Ireland - a prism through which to view the whole story of political and cultural conflict and transformation over the centuries.
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| Flax is simply amazing! |
At the end of the process, they will create an original drama around everything they have learnt to be performed in various venues around Easter 2018.
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| The parents sowing the flax in Spring |
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| It takes no time for the flax to appear |
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Flax inspection in June
First flowers
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| The ALFA students do their main lesson on flax project, covering botanical, agricultural, social, political and historical facts on Irish linen - shown here is the main lesson work, which will be bound after completion |
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| Irish Linen Costumes 16th century banned by the British King, Henry VIII |
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| Botanical Studies |
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| All work is beautifully illustrated by the students |
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| The students study all the facts surrounding Flax in Ireland |
Sixteen students, flax flying everywhere....
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| Pulling Flax |
Once the flax is pulled, it is bundled and stored in the barn for drying. This will help make the retting process more effective
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Hanging the Flax to dry
In the meantime... we are building the tools needed for processing the flax
after retting...
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Building the tools for the hackling, breaking and scutching |
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| Adding elbow grease! |
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| The breaker |
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| Breaker and scutching boards almost ready to go |
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| Breaking handle |
Hackling is when you remove the seed heads
of the dried flax plants. The hackling comb is simply made with nails and a length of wood.
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| Last touches to the hackle |
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| Almost all straight...Perfect... |
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| Tristan explaining the hackling process - taking off the seed heads |
Hackling turned out to be a great workout for the students, using hands and feet to pull the flax through the tines and
collecting the seeds
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| Fast work! |
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| The collected seeds after hackling.. |
After two weeks of drying, we spread the flax out in the playing field for dew retting, a necessary process in order to break down the pecitin(glue) and removing the inside core (straw) from the outside fibres
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| Retting the Flex |
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| Spreading the Flax evenly |
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| Flax after 3 days of retting |
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| Flax after 5 days of retting |
Normally the flax is turned, but in fact the flax had already fully retted after day seven
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| 'Is it ready?' |
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| 'Yep' it's ready! |
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| The golden colour has almost gone and the flax is now a grey/gold colour |
The retted Flax is then brought back to the barn to be dried once more
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| A visit by the Clare Champion, our local newspaper, writing an article on the Flax project |
which earned us a big double page spread with lots of pictures on the 6th of Sepember 2017 issue..
The next stage is the trialing of combing flax, which we 'speed processed' ahead of school times in our polytunnel at home...
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| 'Wow! It really works!' |
Compared to Tristan's heavy duty nail hackling comb - these bought combs are rather sweet... certainly too delicate for 16 teenagers...
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| We left this one too long to dew ret - the fibres came apart altogether. |
Look out for the next update. Next we have a whole craft week which will include spinning, dyeing, crafting, weaving and much much more...
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| The students are trying their hands on using a drop spindle, weaving andmore tool making... |
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