Natural Dye Workshop

Plant dyes have long been used by our ancestors as adornment, as medicine that is absorbed through the skin, and as social and cultural signifiers. This workshop will consider cloth, colour and the environment in our current global context, and how reclaiming natural dye knowledge can lead to more seasonal and cyclical textile systems embedded in our local ecology. You will learn about the magic and alchemy of plant dyeing on cellulose and protein-based fibres. Bundle dyeing is a simple and versatile technique to create texture and imprints of colour on cloth. You will learn about the processes of mordanting cloth, preparing dye materials, and ways to fix colour to cloth. We will play with flowers grown in gardens, plants gathered from the land, and food waste collected from our kitchens to bundle dye a cotton bandana. All materials are provided; however you are welcome to bring flowers or plant materials that you’d like to experiment with!