Inks and paints
Mondays, August 4, 11, 18 from 8 am – 4 pm
 
In the August session you’ll extract dye and pigment from dye plants to make 1) dye/mordant for direct application to fabric, 2) shelf-stable watercolor paints, 3) lake pigments for several uses. We’ll play with all of these techniques on fabric and on paper, and you’ll make your own to take home.
 
Extracting dye from plants can take many forms: “Lake pigments” salvage pigment from dye baths, providing pure pigment for making inks, paint, and chalk; highly concentrated dye baths produce intense watercolors that can be made shelf stable in a few simple steps; skip mordanting with a “dye/mordant” – a fun technique for painting on fabric. 
 
The mornings are for the dye garden. Depending upon the time of year, we might be planting, weeding, or harvesting. Time in the garden is great for getting to know the plants and their individual personalities, and the other beings that like to BEE in the garden. Knowing the plants gives you a connection that goes all the way to your finished dyed piece. 
 
There are countless aspects to botanical dyeing. Here and there, we’ll talk about cultivating dye plants, mordants, science, history and more to give you a well-rounded feel for working with plant dyes. You will take home your finished textiles, your practice pieces, and handouts that correlate with the workshop activities.
 
Details 
 
You are welcome to bring any number of garments/textiles/yarn/roving under a total weight of three pounds (1,350 g) per session. 
For the Shibori, Inks & Paints, and Ecoprinting sessions, fabric must be either white or natural cellulose (cotton, rayon, hemp, bamboo, etc.). If your textiles are not new items, please scour them before coming to the workshop. (See https://www.fiberartsy.com/how-to-scour-fabric/ for instructions on scouring.) If they are new, please machine wash in hot water. 
For the Plant Dyes & Wool session, please bring white or cream wool yarn and/or roving. If you have wool scarves or sweaters (etc.), you can dye those too.  
Please bring a sack lunch, hat, water bottle, sunscreen, and garden-friendly shoes. We will provide refreshments and snacks.