Harvesting Color

The first day of this class will cover proper fiber preparation and mordanting for cellulose and protein fibers with alum. We will dye both yarn and cloth samples in our dye baths using plants from the dye garden here at the farm and materials we collect from the forest and field. At this time of year there will be many plants available for collection. We will look for leaves from trees, nuts, bark, wildflowers, and roots. We can even experiment with some food scraps that give good color. We will bring these treasures back to the studio to photograph, identify and then prepare for dyeing. Most everything will need a good long soak over night before we make dye baths. Possibilities for modifying colors by changing ph, adding iron, and over-dyeing with indigo will be explored. All workshops run from 9AM- 5PM with an hour for lunch in the middle of the day.

Materials Fee: $50 Paid at time of workshop. Includes fabric for samples, all dyes and assists, notebook of recipes and instructions. Additional dye blanks (shawls and scarves) will be available for purchase.

Overview and Supply List