Natural Dyeing Workshop

 

(Above:  The three instructors for a Natural Dyeing Workshop with the test pieces hanging to dry in the background.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Last week I was able to take a half day natural dyeing workshop.  It was WONDERFUL.  The instructors were fun, knowledgeable, and very attentive.  They also provided everything for everyone, including ...

... all the plant material!  They also scoured all the fabric and applied the mordant.  All I had to do was show up!

Then ... lay out plant material!

This was the "test" piece ... a way to experiment and learn the process!  Keep scrolling to see what this became!

Next was a bandanna sized piece.  We had to learn how to lay plant material out on only half the fabric ...

... position the "blanket" (a piece of flannel without mordant that was soaked in onion skin dye) over the flower ... and then lay out more flower.  This is then covered in plastic and ...

... rolled up tightly and bound with string ...

... and then steamed in a giant pot.  Obviously, the reason for "doing half" and folding it over has to do with the size of the pot!  The one-inch in diameter wooden dowel has to fit in the pot!

This is what came out of the pot!  (Although I snapped a photo of the back side!)

This is how it looked when dry, ironed, and free-motion stitched!  I have an idea for how I'll use it in the future!  Now ... down below are my two test pieces ... stitched!

Free-motion machine stitched with black cotton thread and densely seed stitched by hand.

Free-motion machine stitched.