This four-day retreat will introduce you to the beautiful, slow craft of Natural Dyeing.
Over the course of the weekend you will learn the basics (and beyond) of selecting and preparing natural textile fibers to receive colour, and the slow, patient art of extracting colour from a variety of plant materials, including discarded food items from the kitchen!
You will learn how to fix natural dyes to fabric, and which dyes are colourfast (ones that last) or fugitive (ones that don’t). We’ll explore several methods of folding, tying & dyeing to create patterns yield incredible designs.
Here is how we will fill our days (while honouring space for rest and restoration, of course):
Each day will begin with a gentle movement, breathing practice to encourage a flow state (the highly valuable state of being that encourages creativity).
This will help us open to all inner and outer channels to receive our highest intuitive feedback, while dissolving stiffness in body and mind. The meditative movement & energy practices Wendy offers are suited to all ranges of mobility and ages.
These offerings are a big part of her own creative art process as well as a cornerstone to overall well being.
Weather permitting these will be offered outside & are optional.
Skills You Will Learn:
Foraging in a sustainable & conscious manner for plant material like flowers, berries & barks (gathering windfall wherever possible) to dye with
Learning what is available to us in this local bioregion in terms of natural colour & create impressions
How to choose natural textiles & the difference between working with cellulose & protein fibres
How to scour (wash) & prepare (mordant) fabric to receive colour
How to use mineral modifiers & salts to shift colour
Immersion dyeing
Solar dyeing
Bundle dyeing (water saving dye technique)
Creating colour from kitchen scraps
Naturally dyeing paper
Tying and resistance techniques to create different styles & patterns on fabric
Learning the several different types of naturals dyes – plant, flower, insect & mineral dyes
How to gather & store your fresh dye materials for projects down the road
This will be a weekend dedicated to spending time in communion with our bodies, hearts, breath, creativity, community and environment. Sharing a balanced range of artful activities and down time will encourage you to stretch into your whole creative, inquiring self.
Click here for all the details