PLANTFOLK: The Magic of Plant Dyes

No, you do not need any prior dyeing experience. This course is designed to guide beginners through step-by-step tutorials, inspire intermediate dyers to go deeper with creative prompts and design tips, and provide experienced dyers with an intimate look at my personal viewpoints and techniques for working with plants. If you're an advanced dyer you could also join as a two-week, co-working, art residency--a time to focus on your own dye practice with community support.

Below is a list of materials and tools you'll need to setup your dye studio and fully engage with the course content. That said, it took me years to build up my dye studio so if you just want to attend with the basics, please do. All tools need to be reserved for DYE WORK only.

Materials:

• Textiles to be dyed: Clean, light-colored, natural fibers like linen, cotton, silk, wool, or other plant or animal fibers. (Just small patches or mini skeins of yarn.)
• Basic kitchen scale with "tare" option.
• Eco-friendly mild laundry soap.
• Measuring spoons (teaspoon and tablespoon will do).
• One large, stainless steel lidded pot. Two pots will be easier but one will do.
• Strainer or colander.
• Lidded jar for mixing mordants (a basic canning jar is great).
• Large stainless steel or wooden spoon for stirring.
• Rag or towel.
• Heat source.
• Dust mask, rubber gloves, and protective apron are optional but recommended. Also, a well-ventilated space or open windows and circulating fans.
• Mordant (Aluminum acetate for plant fibers; aluminum potassium sulfate for animal fibers.) We'll also experiment with two plants that don't use mordants--black walnut and pokeberry. (If you don't want to use mordants, opt for animal-based fibers for better colorfastness.)
• Dye journal--any notebook dedicated to collecting your dye samples will become a treasure.

My approach to plant dyes is akin to folkart, nature-based art, and art experimentation. I am always trying new plants, techniques, and materials. That said, I have been working with dyes steadily for 10+ years and have some favorites. In class, I'll cover some steadfast plant dyes like Coreopsis, Marigold, Black Walnut, and Goldenrod. I'll also cover two plants that have less predictable, but truly magical results--Pokeberry and Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers.

You do not have to have these exact dyes! Please select 1-3 dyes for experiments. You can use the dyes I'll feature (dried or fresh) or you can use any dyes from the following list, or other known dye plants from your region.

I'd suggest: Onion skins, Carrot tops, Avocado pits, Scabiosa flowers, Dyer's Chamomile flowers, Rudbeckia flowers, Black Hollyhock flowers, Cosmos flowers, Calendula flowers, Queen Anne's Lace flowers and leaves, Nettles leaves, Mint leaves, Eucalyptus leaves, Zinnias flowers, Wild Fennel fronds, Sour Grass (Oxalis) flowers, Dandelion flowers, leaves, stems, Apple branches, Yarrow flowers, Acorns, Staghorn Sumac, or many more!

The course runs for two weeks from Monday, November 11- Friday, November 22, 2024. During this time class will be interactive with me checking comments and offering support daily. There will also be daily lessons each weekday with videos, writing, photos, and/or creative prompts. It's all designed for you to just drop into class daily for 15 minutes of lessons, at your own time, and then work on the dyes as your schedule allows. There will be a weekly, live, FAQ session that will also be recorded. (You do not have to attend the live session to get the full benefit of the course.) You will have access to the course recordings for four months from November 11, 2024- March 11, 2025.

Natural dyes bind to natural fibers. Any plant-based or animal-based fibers are great for plant dyes: Cotton, linen, hemp, silk, wool, cashmere, etc. For best results, choose clean, light-colored fibers. Fiber blends are fine so long as all fibers are biodegradable fibers. Small patches or mini skeins are great for experiments. If you're hoping to dye a large textile, like a sweater, be sure you have a pot large enough for the textile to float freely. And be sure you have enough dyes and mordants for your textile too. We'll cover this in class!