Gardening and Foraging Natural Pigments for Dyes & Paint with Pat Brodowski

About Gardening and Foraging Natural Pigments for Dyes & Paint with Pat Brodowski

Hundreds of plants can be made into dyes for natural fibers. Which ones should you grow, which ones should you collect in the field? This workshop will provide you with living plants for your own dye garden. From living plant material we will identify dye plants and make dye from them. The simple chemistry of pH, mordants, and pigment lake extraction will be shown to provide you the tools for experimentation with potential dye plants you might find in future seasons. You will receive a large selection of sample skeins from a range of natural dyes, and those dye baths will be converted to pigments for artists paints. You will be able to over-dye and use indigo. The outcome of this workshop is deeper understanding of how textile dyes work and how to create dyes and pigments yourself.

Materials, Equipment, and Supplies the Student Must Bring to Class

Apron, gloves, notebook, sharpie marker, ziplock bags to take wet samples home, box to take up to a dozen 2-inch potted plants home

Materials Fee (to be paid directly to the instructor) and Kit Description

$85 - 10 or so living dye plants, with extras for purchase, assorted prepared dyes and skeins, supply of foraged dye plants, a copy of her book Gardening and Foraging Natural Dyes

Homework

None