Natural Dyeing Workshop with Maggie Pate, Capturing Color with Plant Extracts
Archived Workshop:
Natural dye extracts are plant-derived powders that, when measured properly and added to a dye bath, will produce vibrant and rich hues. With extracts, color can be captured from foreign lands — like purple from Brazil with logwood tree chips, sunny yellows from Mexico with curcumin powder, pinks from Argentina with quebracho tree bark, and reds or rusts from Central Asia with madder root.
Textile artist Maggie Pate has cultivated a remarkable studio that is 100% sustainable and eco-friendly. Her main focus is on capturing color predominantly with food waste, collected from local restaurants and farms. In June 2018, she released her first book, The Natural Colors Cookbook. Her guide explores in depth how to capture color with food waste and pantry basics, making natural dyeing and sustainable colors accessible — and earth-loving — to all.
This 3-hour, hands-on workshop will give an overview of how to dye fibers naturally from exotic plant material in extract form.
- Intro to fibers
- Scouring bath
- Mordant bath
- Resistance patterns
- Dye bath
- pH shifts
During this class, the following items will be provided to practice dyeing:
— Silk ribbon
— Cotton tote
— Cotton bandana
If you're interested in bringing your own fibers to dye, please email us in advance. We'll try to accommodate all requests.
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