Give your garments a hue that is totally unique to you!
This is a class for first time botanical dyers. We will keep it simple and cover the basics by using only ingredients commonly found in most kitchens: Onion skins, turmeric, and black tea. I will teach you how to upcycle old garments or drab linens by coaxing color that will give your threads beautiful, natural colors that are both stylish and sustainable.
We skip the mordanting step in this class to keep our process super kitchen safe. This may mean our fabric will fade eventually with lots of washing and sun exposure but personally I love an excuse for a regular botanical dye ritual to refresh my linens.
I’m the head botanical dyer of an experimental textile studio called Sunblood that I co-created with one of my best friends. I find color in my garden, the fields and meadows around my house, in bright flowers and beneath the soil, occasionally in mushrooms, and of course, in my kitchen! You can check out our website and Instagram for more botanically hued inspiration. Â
Are you ready to get started making brilliant botanical dyes?
Here are the materials for this class:Â
- AÂ white garment or cloth made up of natural fibers (cotton, linen, hemp, etc.)
- Onion skins, turmeric powder, or black tea
- Apron or clothes to wear that you don’t mind getting stained
- Large pot (since we are not using mordants, you can use any pot from your kitchen)
- Tongs
- Long handled spoon
- Tub or sink for soaking cloth
- Kitchen with a stove and a sink
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Thermometer (optional)
- Rubber bands or string for those who want to experiment with tie dye (optional)
- Washing machine to pre wash the garments (optional)
Special thanks to Sarah Elizabeth Buckner for cinematography and Alex Allaux for editing this class.
See you in the class - I can't wait to see what you create!
