Courses in Natural Dyeing
June Workshop
Another workshop has come to an end and women from New Zealand, Belgium and England are now unpacking their rainbow of naturally dyed threads.
Only after the end of the second day did the colours start arriving:
So get in touch soon if you would like to join us for the next workshop in September.... moreDye Extract Workshop June 2009
Yet another Natural Dye Extract Workshop has been and gone, with a whirl of colour and deluge of enthusiasm.
One of the first things we explored was colour modification that resulted in 27 colours emerging from one dye vat, the image below shows the nine shades of alum mordanted yarn with persian berries extract.
The immersion dyeing with the natural dye extracts created several rainbows of color a few of which can be seen on the knitted, woven and felted samples below.
These silk tops dyed by an up and coming designer were dyed with logwood extract and techniques learned earlier on the colour modification day.... moreCourses 2008
Well the usual vacillations regarding the dates of the May/ June course have come to an end and the dates are now fixed.
Now we can get down to deciding what we are going to do during those 5 and a half days. Already there is someone who wants to concentrate on the natural dyeing of silk/felting fibre, with the emphasis on dyeing for good commercial use, i.e good light and colour fastness.
There is still room for other participants with other wishes. Some work and play with natural dye extracts could be rewarding and fun?... moreCourses 2007
Information is now available about this year's courses.
These will take place at the end of May and the beginning of September. There are still two places left for the September course. Email for details .
Last year, the Sunday of the September course coincided with the Transhumance; driving the sheep down from the mountains to the winter pastures here in the foothills where we live. We joined the flock on the second day, in a little village called Roquefort les Cascades. The shepherds had already driven them over the 1000 m high Plantaurels and stopped for breakfast in Roquefort where the village square is easily turned into a sheep pen by a few well placed people in the literal sense.... more