Pace Eggs

 Marilyn has shared some photos of experiments in eco-printing from her new studio and instructions on how to organically dye eggs.

Pace Eggs
Some cheap eggs, no need to be white
Squares of textile waste to wrap them in-ideally white, natural fibres
Papery onion skins
Small flowers, leaves, ferns

Lay the textile square on the table and place some onion skins on top
Put some flowers/leaves/ferns on top-not too many
Place egg carefully on the flowers and place more flowers on top
More onion skins around the egg
Wrap up the egg in the textile square, carefully, and make into a parcel with string or textile strips

Place the egg bundles into a pan if cold water and boil for an hour

Leave to cool, then remove form the water, open carefully and marvel at the patterns!

Pace Egging was popular all over England in years gone by, but is now mostly confined to Lancashire, Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire. Eggs can be rolled down a hill, or rolled in “battle” toward another egg. In each case, the un-cracked one, or least cracked one, is the winner.

You can keep them dry and they may remain wholesome for years, or they may rot. Perhaps best to photograph them for posterity. Blown eggs may work but would have to be carefully handled and wouldn’t work for the actual Pace Egging!