Regenerative COLOURS
In this 2 days workshop we will rediscover our local gardens while foraging for wild colour and learning about natural dyes.
The workshop will provide an introduction to natural dyes by explaining the different processes necessary to obtain colourfast results, as well as the type of fibres and their particular needs. Using plant dyes is a slow process that requires patience and openness to unexpected outcomes, for this reason, testing and experimentation are encouraged. Environmental elements like the PH of the soil, PH of the water, time of the year and so on, are responsible for colour variation, and the same plant species will show different colours depending on its environmental growing conditions. The beauty of natural colours is that are very much alive and as they age they change with time but, unlike synthetic colours, they don’t lose their harmony.
TIME_ 2 Sessions of 2 hours each ( it usually extends…)
Course content
Day 1_ We will talk about the pros and cons of natural dyes. You will be introduced to the steps of Natural Dyeing, safety procedures and the importance of the right equipment. We will explain the difference between fibres, the process of cleaning them and how to attach colour. We will show you how to make a dye bath and the importance of water. By the end of the first session, you will have a dye bath ready to use the next day.
Introduction
Preparing the fibres
Harvesting for colour
Day 2_ We will experiment more freely with colour modifiers, share the colour discoveries of our local dyestuff, the colours you can find in your kitchen, and will resolve any possible doubts.
The workshop will provide an introduction to natural dyes by explaining the different processes necessary to obtain colourfast results, as well as the type of fibres and their particular needs. Using plant dyes is a slow process that requires patience and openness to unexpected outcomes, for this reason, testing and experimentation are encouraged. Environmental elements like the PH of the soil, PH of the water, time of the year and so on, are responsible for colour variation, and the same plant species will show different colours depending on its environmental growing conditions. The beauty of natural colours is that are very much alive and as they age they change with time but, unlike synthetic colours, they don’t lose their harmony.
TIME_ 2 Sessions of 2 hours each ( it usually extends…)
Course content
Day 1_ We will talk about the pros and cons of natural dyes. You will be introduced to the steps of Natural Dyeing, safety procedures and the importance of the right equipment. We will explain the difference between fibres, the process of cleaning them and how to attach colour. We will show you how to make a dye bath and the importance of water. By the end of the first session, you will have a dye bath ready to use the next day.
Introduction
- What are natural dyes? (Fugitive pigments)
- Advantages and disadvantages of natural dyes
- Type of fibres and their needs
Preparing the fibres
- The process of washing and Scouring
- The process of Mordating
Harvesting for colour
- Preparing a dye bath
- Water and PH (test on paper) where does the water come from? What is its PH? Rain water PH 7/ neutral
- Colour modifiers
Day 2_ We will experiment more freely with colour modifiers, share the colour discoveries of our local dyestuff, the colours you can find in your kitchen, and will resolve any possible doubts.