Natural Dyeing Workshops

INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL DYES: A SERIES OF 3 WORKSHOPS

 

These workshops will give you a firm foundation in understanding the process of natural dyeing. The focus is on time-tested, historic and ecologically friendly materials and best practices, so that you can achieve beautiful, long-lasting colors with natural dye. There are a surprising amount of misconceptions and misinformation about natural dyes. After this three-session introductory class, you will gain enough understanding to continue exploration of natural dye on your own or go on to more advanced classes. 

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Instructor: Cindy Vojnovic, 2022 Artist-in-Residence at NCC's East 40

 

Session 1: Intro & Scouring (FREE AND REQUIRED)
Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.

 

Session 2: Mordants ($20)
Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. - noon

 

Session 3: Dyeing ($20)
Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. - noon

 

SESSION INFORMATION:
 

Session 1: Intro & Scouring
The first session is free and required, and will give an overview of the process. You don’t need to bring anything, but you are welcome to bring any articles of clothing or fabric, yarn or other fiber you would like to dye. You can see and feel samples of natural fabrics and yarns and learn about how different kinds of fibers can give different results with natural dyes. The hands-on experience of this first session will be scouring, which is the first step in preparing any kind fiber to be dyed. 

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Session 2: Mordants
The second session will cover the critical step of mordanting. Unlike scouring, which is done almost exactly the same for any kind of fiber, animal or protein fiber (like wool) need to be mordanted differently than vegetable or cellulose fiber (like cotton). The mordanting can also affect what colors can be achieved. Samples of some of the most common pre-mordants like pomegranate skins and oak galls and how they can effect the final color will be explained, and samples shown. The hands-on experience of this session will be mordanting both animal and vegetable fiber. 
 

Session 3: Dyeing
The third session will cover immersion dyeing, featuring wild goldenrod foraged from the NCC East 40! Immersion dyeing is just like it sounds: you immerse your fiber in the dye, and is the basic process used for almost all natural dyes. (The other main category is called a dye vat, which is the more complex chemical process needed to convert indigo from a solid to a solution that can be used in dyeing fiber.) While we are dyeing the fibers, dyeing with some of the other best and most widely used natural dyes, and how the process might vary somewhat will be covered.  

 

REGISTRATION LINKS:

Session 1 (FREE / everyone must register for this workshop and attend)

Session 2 ($20)

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Session 3 ($20)

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Everyone must attend the first session. You can register for either, both, or neither of the other sessions.

 

All workshops will be taught at the East 40 on NCC’s Bethlehem campus, 3835 Green Pond Rd., Bethlehem  
(number 7 on this map)