Natural Dyeing with Food Scraps
Getting Creative with Compost
Have you ever stained a favorite shirt and wondered what foods work as natural dyes? In this class we will learn the difference between staining and dyeing fabric with food stuffs and explore some excellent dyes drawn from scraps that end up in our compost bins: onion skins, avocado skins and pits, and tea bags! We’ll also learn how to shift those colours using baking soda (alkaline) and vinegar (acid). If you’re eager to get cooking with natural dyes and want to learn some chemistry in a fun and colourful way, this class is for you!
Length: 2.5 hours
Group Fee (2-5 people): $150 total (includes all dye matter)
Location: Blue Leaf Studio, 1475 King Edward Ave. West, Vancouver BC
Supplies: Bring $15 for a fabric kit composed of 100% cotton swatches of various weights for experimentation OR bring your own metre of 100% white cotton fabric rigorously washed in hot water.
Register by email (blueleafstudioart@gmail.com) with name, contact information, desired date, and number of group participants. Once your request is confirmed, please e-transfer the class fee to blueleafstudioart@gmail.com. Cash or cheque payment for the full group is also accepted at the outset of the first class.
Mature young folks (10+) who are keen to join are welcome with an accompanying adult.
Natural Dyeing with Iron and Indigo
Making your Mark with Blues and Grays
Do you delight in blues and grays and want to learn how to achieve these colours with natural dyes? This class introduces you to the basic chemistry of making and dyeing with an indigo vat (blue) and dyeing with a tannin + iron bath (gray) and how to use various “resists” to make marks and patterns on your fabric. These blues and grays are sumptuous all on their own, but if you’ve already dyed with kitchen scraps, bring your samples along and discover how to extend your colour palette by over-dyeing them with indigo and iron. The possibilities abound!
Length: 2.5 hours
Group Fee (2-5 people): $180 total (includes all dye matter)
Location: Blue Leaf Studio, 1475 King Edward Ave. West, Vancouver BC
Supplies: Bring $15 for a fabric kit composed of 100% cotton swatches of various weights for experimentation OR bring a metre of 100% white cotton fabric that you have rigorously washed in hot water.
Register by email (blueleafstudioart@gmail.com) with name, contact information, desired date, and number of group participants. Once your request is confirmed, please e-transfer the class fee to blueleafstudioart@gmail.com. Cash or cheque payment for the full group is also accepted at the outset of the first class.
Mature young folks (10+) who are keen to join are welcome with an accompanying adult.