Natural dyeing is staging a comeback! Renewed interest in natural dyes has resulted in an abundance of DIY blogs, Youtube how-tos, Pinterest posts, and beautifully photographed new books. Unfortunately, it has also resulted in a lot of misinformation and confusion, leading aspiring new dyers to disappointment and a feeling that natural dyes “don’t work.” But did you know that synthetic dyes have only been available since the late 19th century? For thousands of years prior, humans used natural dyes to dye every textile in the world, including all those richly colored tapestries, court gowns, and ancient textiles you see in museums! This presentation will introduce some basic background to natural dye history, explain the chemical mechanics for how natural dyes work, and provide tips and tricks for how to properly prepare your vats and achieve the colors you want at home. We’ll help to debunk some of the misconceptions and myths surrounding natural dyes, such as: “you can’t get bright colors from plants,” “natural dyes aren’t colorfast,” and “indigo rubs off on everything!”
Participants are welcome to bring their burning questions and stories or samples of projects that didn’t turnout for us to explore together. You will walk away with informational handouts, recommended resources for quality natural dye information, recipes for completely non-toxic indigo vats, and sample sheets to jump-start your natural dye practice.
Leader: Judilee Fitzhugh
Duration: 3 hours
Level: All levels
Student supplies to bring: Note-taking materials
Materials Fee: $2