Colour from Plants
Colouring our world with plant and mineral materials is an ancient human need. From the cave paintings of our ancestors to the cloth that we wear. The fashion industry has been cruel to our planet and to ourselves.
However things are changing and awareness on a worldwide scale is slowly dawning on us. What we wear next to our skin is absorbed, what we use in our environment is absorbed. Learning to work with the plants that grow around us can give us the colour we need in our lives.
The presumed 'weeds' are now embraced for the gift of the colour and food in our lives.This connection is so important - we have disconnected in so many ways from the world that we are part of and at one with. Plants have a voice and they are urging us to listen, think and learn.
Silk fabric dyed with plants
Indigo dyed fish skins
I teach the accumulated knowledge I have learned. I like to reconnect you to the plant, the source of the 'dye stuff' you buy to do your natural dyeing. I hope to set the seed of the magic of materials we have been gifted.
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​We will learn how to identify local plants
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We will see how easy it can be to grow your own dye plants
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​We will learn about different mordant methods.
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​We will learn about washing and preparing your fabrics to dye
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A brief introduction to the alchemy of dyeing
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The individual needs of dyeing with some plant materials​. Temperatures/ ph environment
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Blending plants to create new colours
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Environmental awareness of collecting plant material in the wild