DATES: 3/27 & 3/28, SA SU 12-2pm EST both days
WHERE: Zoom (you will receive calendar invitations for each day with Zoom login info)
WORKSHOP: Want to learn the natural dyeing basics, how to get set up and started, AND hang out with fellow color & nature lovers for a weekend? Then yup, this workshop might be for you! In honor of winter, we will build a winter blues palette, focusing on cool tones and achieving a wide range of color from just a few dyes. Blue is one of the more rare colors to source in nature, with indigo being the most commonly used and successful plant for achieving blue tones, but also one of the more challenging to work with. Alternatively, we will explore some more accessible materials to satisfy those winter blues! We will go over the process of dyeing, from start to finish, so that your dyeing journey can continue long after the course ends. These fundamentals include:
-scouring (cleaning)
-mordanting (applying fixative)
-fabrics & raw materials (cellulose fibers vs protein)
-immersion dyeing (extracting color, making dye bath, etc)
-pH & other post-bath color modifiers (expanding the color range)
-plus, some painterly techniques!
Kit is included in price, and comes with dye materials & fabrics, but there are some tools you will need to have on hand (and some optional items) - see below:
You will need to provide:
-a head of red/purple cabbage from grocery store
-heat (stovetop/hotplates)
-water (sink/bathtub/stream)
-pots (stainless steel or enamel only, recommend 2-3)
-strainer (stainless steel & one that can rest on top of your pot unassisted- for steaming bundles)
-spoons/stirring tools
-oven mitts (for handling hot objects)
-drop cloth(s) for covering workspace
-face mask (for when we dissolve mordants)
-tea kettle for boiling water (or another small pot dedicated for this)
-measuring spoons (tbsp)
-small stir stick for dissolving materials (chopstick, glass stir stick, cocktail stirrer, metal spoon, etc)
-3 glass jars (approx 16oz size, or bigger)
-2-3 rinse/soak buckets (approx 2 gallon size)
-scissors
-paintbrushes (nothing fancy)
-rubber bands
-optional: mortar & pestle for grinding dye materials into smaller/finer pieces (if you'd like)
***If you don't have something on this list, email me and we can either improvise, or I can direct you where to purchase***
Kit that I send you includes:
-scouring agents (pH neutral detergent, soda ash)
-mordants (potash alum, alum acetate - these are aluminum salts)
-modifiers (ferrous sulfate, citric acid, soda ash)
-dye materials
-fabrics (silk & cotton)
Set up, safety, more:
-Please wear clothes and shoes you don't mind staining - may get messy.
-You will need access to water & heat sources (oven or hot plates). I recommend setting up in your kitchen near stove, or outdoor space with hot plates.
-Recommend covering your workspace in drop cloth (floor, table space, etc). Make sure it is taped down and secure so you do not slip! (sometimes I cut & spread open large trash bags and use these to cover my floor)
-I recommend that the kitchen tools you use are not be borrowed from the kitchen if possible, and are dye-dedicated. Although natural, not all materials are safe for humans to ingest. We are not working with anything toxic, but it is best to err on the safe side!
***If you want to overdye a vintage item or other fabric/fiber you have, you can do that too. I am sending a little extra of the scouring agents & mordants, enough to do something small like a pillowcase or teeshirt.