How Purple Got It's Name

Purple is my favourite colour, I'm not sure why or when it became my favourite I only know it is.

So what is the history of the colour purple? The word “purple” comes from the Old English word “purpul” which is from the Latin “purpura” and the Greek word “porphyra”.

This was the name of the Tyrian purple dye manufactured in classical antiquity. In human colour psychology, purple is associated with royalty and nobility because Tyrian purple was only affordable to the elite.

Purples are the shades of colour occurring between red and blue. The line connecting the extreme spectral colours red and violet is know as the “line of purples”.

While some confusion exists concerning the colour names “purple” and “violet” Purple is typically defined as as a mixture of red and blue light, where as violet is a specific spectral colour.

The first synthetic dye was discovered by a teenager in 1856, who accidentally made a purple dye that soon became the height of fashion in England. William Henry Perkins dye would retain it's colour.

Until that point, purple dyes always faded very fast. Perkin initially called his new dye “ Tyrian Purple” but it was later known as “Mauve”.

Mauve quickly became all the rage in English high fashion.

Purple was also worn by Roman magistrates; it became the imperial colour worn by the rulers of the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire and later by Roman Catholic bishops. Similarly in Japan, the colour is traditionally associated with the Emperor and aristocracy.

The early purple dye was made using snails, they first had to be gathered, thousands of them, their shells cracked, the snail removed. Mountains of empty shells have been found at ancient sites. The snails were left to soak, then a tiny gland was removed and the juice extracted and put in a basin, which was placed in the sunlight.

Then a transformation took place, it turned white, then yellow-green, then green, violet, then a red that turned darker and darker. This process had to be stopped at exactly the right time to obtain the the desired colour.

The process was so long, difficult and expensive it then became the colour of kings.

So the colour purple has a long history, and regal standing and if it was good enough for royalty its good enough for me.

But really if purple had no such background I would still have a passion for purple.

My Purple-Laced Roll Away Bed Covers

This project I have been working on for a long time.

It has taken months of labor to sew all the frills and lace onto the sheets, pillow covers, blankets and duvets on this roll away bed. My fingers are numb!

I started this as a gift to my newly arriving grand-daughter that I previously made this sweater for. I wanted something (purple of course) that would last a long time. Little did I know how much effort I'd put in! I just wanted some blankets and trim for the crib, but instead bought a roll away bed (this model, reviewed here) and did it up real fancy.

Why did I over-do it? I couldn't stop. My passion got the better of me and I made this the greatest bed set ever created for a roll away bed!

Why did I choose this particular model? Well, they don't have much room in their place. They rent a basement suite for the time being, and with the crib, change table and all the other baby stuff, there just isn't enough room for a full bed! So, I researched and purchased a very comfortable and sturdy roll away bed so they can easily store it while the baby grows into it.

All together, I sewed the lacey trim onto pillows, a sheet, the bed spread, and the skirting. It was an amazing job, even though it took what seemed forever. The cost was nearly 200 dollars for the purple trim and lace alone, and the roll away bed was also pretty costly.

No price is too much for my family! I'd spend the money and do it all again in a heartbeat! Of course, I know I promised a tutorial for all of this. I'm writing it now, despite my sore fingers. Look for it soon!

My Granddaughters Gifts

Purple is a color that is not abundant in nature, while there are several different flowers and even some purple leaves it's not a common color. I think this is a a shame as purple is one of my favorite colors (and is forth most popular in the world) and I try to incorporate purple into everything I make.

For instance when my granddaughter announced she was having a baby girl I decided to make some gifts and my first idea was to knit a sweater. Naturally I wished to make it in some shade of purple, I finally found the most gorgeous lavender, very light and perfect for a baby.

When it was finished I added some tiny white buttons which I thought looked adorable and finished it off quite well.

My next project was a dress, I chose to crochet instead of knit this time. When it came to the color I went with white wool that had tiny flecks of silver in it. The dress was rather complicated and took a little longer than anticipated but when I was finally finished making it and threaded some deep purple ribbon through the waist and made a bow I thought it looked amazing.

The last item on my list for the baby was a crib blanket, crocheted in small squares and for this I chose white, a medium purple and a sunny yellow, when all the squares were finished I sewed them together and then went around the entire blanket with a couple of rows. I believe this gives the blanket a more professional finish.

When the baby is born I will give my granddaughter the gifts and hope she like them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Purple Party Planner – Wedding Favors

My friends daughter was getting married and my friend asked me to make the wedding favors, and since I love crafting of all types I agreed. We decided to have a lunch meeting at my house to discuss the design and since it was a beautiful day I thought an outdoor lunch would be perfect.

The color scheme for the wedding had previously been discussed; the colors of choice were white, yellow and one of my three favorite colors purple. I think purple is an excellent color choice and mixed with the white and yellow will make superb favors.

Since it was such a lovely day and the temperature was already in the high seventies I thought a nice cold drink would be best to serve with our lunch, so I made a batch of purple punch.

This drink is so easy to make you just mix purple kool-aid, sprite and pineapple juice along with plenty of ice and now you not only have the perfect summer drink to accompany your lunch, but it is also part of the color scheme! Add in a crisp white tablecloth and a vase of purple lupins and a few yellow mums and the table is set.

After lunch the bride to be chose her wedding favors. Her choice was sachets, these sweet smelling sachets are extremely pretty and made with vintage fabrics in yellow and purple then filled with aromatic lavender and tied in with a white bow.

Not only would these be an attractive addition to the reception tables but also add a fragrant aroma to the reception hall. After lunch when the guests left I got to work checking out fabric after all I had a lot of work ahead making 200 sachets wedding favors and the soon I start the sooner I will finish.

My Passion IS Purple!

I love purple :) It is obviously my favorite color. From the brilliant violets to more subdued lavenders, I love all the shades of purple.

I also love crafts. I have an entire room in my house dedicated to crafts. I take most pleasure in making party favors for weddings and baby showers. I also love to work with the color purple!

This blog is about me, and my journey in purple. I have lots of great ideas, starting with a great post about colors and how they relate, and just what purple is. Then we will do a few tutorials, beginning with making a purple lace bedskirt for my daughter.

Until then!