Historically Dyed Wool Léine, Ionar & Cloak

I’m commissioning a skilled tailor-dyer to create a brown wool léine (knee length, long sleeved tunic) yellow wool ionar (Gaelic shoulder to hip sleeveless, buttonless, pocketless jacket) and a matching cloak for my own day-to-day wear. Authenticity is important to me: the garments must be cut in a period-appropriate style and, crucially, hand-dyed with plants that were genuinely available in medieval Scotland. I’m aiming for the yellow and browns permitted to the Ócaire (commoner) class, so nothing showy—just those earthy, work-a-day shades that would have come from local hedgerows, bark, leaves or lichens.

I don’t yet have a fixed plant list, so I’ll lean on your expertise for suggestions. If you regularly work with traditional Scots dyestuffs—think birch, bracken, weld, meadowsweet, crottle lichens, onion skins or similar—please tell me what shades you can achieve and how light-fast they are. I’d like the colours to be as historically plausible as possible, even if that limits the palette.

Scope of work
• Source and pre-shrink a suitable undyed 100 % wool of medium weight.
• Hand-dye yardage using historically documented methods (mordanting, simmer vats, fermentation where relevant).
• Cut and sew the ionar and a simple rectangular cloak with period-correct seams, hem finishes and tablet-woven or self-fabric edge binding as appropriate.
• Provide process photos of the dye stages so I can see how each colour was achieved.
• Package and ship the finished garments to me; I’ll supply my measurements once we agree on the project.

Acceptance criteria
• Final colours fall within the muted brown–yellow spectrum typical for Ócaire status.
• Stitching is strong and discreet; garments are comfortable for regular wear.
• Dye is even, colour-fast and washed clear of excess.

If you’re familiar with natural dyeing, historical tailoring, and can document your process, I’d love to hear how you would approach this build and what timeline you foresee.