In this introductory workshop, we’ll explore the world of natural dyes using plants from our gardens and foraged from the fields and forests at Dancing Bear Farm. We’ll be working with the two types of natural fibers: cellulose (which includes cotton, linen, hemp, etc) and protein (silk, wool, etc) and covering fiber preparation, mordanting, dyeing, and finishing processes. Participants will make sample cards with different fiber types from each plant dye, learning how to take accurate, detailed notes to inform future projects. Students will also have the chance to dye a cotton bandana their color of choice. Come discover the wide array of natural colors that are easily grown in the garden and foraged from the landscape. We’ll be working with several easily grown and foraged dye plants including staghorn sumac, weld, sulfur cosmos, coreopsis, traditional madder and wild madder, marigolds, and hollyhocks. This workshop is hands-on, come ready to get a little messy in the garden and dye area!
This is a two day workshop. Morning refreshments and lunches will be provided both days.
Participants will learn:
How to scour protein and cellulose fibers for dyeing
Mordanting with alum sulfate and alum acetate
Three main natural dye groups and how to identify their sources (including tannins for tans and browns, flavonoids for yellows and oranges, and anthraquinones for reds, pinks, oranges, and purples)
Identifying dye materials in the field and garden
Cultivating and preparing garden-grown and foraged dye plants
Making a dye vat from fresh and dried plant materials (roots, leaves, and flowers)
Modifying colors with iron after-bath
Participant fee: $180 plus a $20 materials fee
Overnight camping accomodations are available for $10/tentsite.
Ages 16+
Berkley Heath is a natural dyer and printmaker fascinated by the sources and history of art materials. With a formal education and work background in ecological design and organic agriculture, she began growing dye plants nearly ten years ago and since then has cultivated a dye garden every year, processing the plants throughout the season into dyes, pigments, and inks to use in her work. Her work is grounded in these seasonal processes at her home in rural New Hampshire: spending time seeding, tending to plants, harvesting and making art materials as well as studying and experimenting with traditional surface design techniques with natural dyes on cloth. Natural dyeing is an incredible confluence of so many of her interests, from plant biology and organic chemistry, to design and ethnobotany, and she feels passionate about sharing this craft with others. She teaches workshops at craft schools and farms across New England, including Snow Farm in Williamsburg, MA and Sanborn Mills Farm in Sanbornton, NH. She believes that physical interaction with the landscape facilitates a sense of place, wellbeing, and stewardship of our natural world.