Don’t believe the hype! Natural dyes can provide brilliant and fast color to rival their modern-day competitors, and under much safer conditions for both the dyer and the earth. I’ll teach you how to use natural dyes to achieve a range of colors from your home dye pot. I’ll cover a bit of history and explain how natural dyes differ from their synthetic counterparts. We’ll talk about common mistakes beginning dyers encounter, and learn how to control your results. We’ll use different mordants for light and color-fastness, and explore different natural fibers to obtain maximum color variations from a single dye plant. Finally, we’ll experiment with overdyeing and variegated dyeing to give you plenty of avenues for later exploration at home.
All materials are included in workshop fee. An assortment of fabric samples will be provided.
Students should wear appropriate clothing and shoes, items that you won’t mind potentially being stained. Bring a pair of rubber gloves and an apron if you like.
Students are encouraged to bring a sack lunch. Coffee, tea, water and light snacks will be served.
Limit 12 students.