Comprehensive Natural Dye Series

This class is part of our Summer Series, where we invite you to take a deep dive into a skill you've been wanting to master.  Learn to successfully use natural dyes to produce clear, long lasting colors on a variety of fibers. You will learn the important steps of fiber preparation: scouring and mordanting that is so important in achieving good results with natural dyes. We will the extract our dyes from the raw plant materials, dye the fibers and finally explore post dye modification and over dyeing which extends the range of hues from our primary colors. We will make 12 different dye baths to get a rainbow of colors.

This series requires some knowledge of the chemistry of natural dyeing. If you are a beginner please take the Introduction to Natural Dyeing offered the week before this class.

  You can choose to work with cellulose fibers (cotton or linen) or protein fiber (wool or silk) or both. Instructor will supply plant material and you are also welcome to bring botanicals to experiment with. 

Level: Informed Beginners (see above)

Members: $240 dollars, this is a 20% discount off the usual cost for a 3 session class available only during the Summer Series

Non members: $290, this is a 20% discount off the usual cost for a 3 session class class available only during the Summer Series

Instructor: Joyce Tromba and Denise Arcuri bio 

Materials fee: $25

Materials provided by instructor: Plants, extracts, equipment, mordants, modifiers, detailed instructions

Materials students should bring: Dye plants (optional), fabric: either cotton or linen for cellulose fiber and wool or silk for protein fiber. Bring one yard of fiber or 100grams of wool . Please contact instructors if you have questions about what to bring.