Exploring Botanical & Rust Dye Techniques

Exploring Botanical & Rust Dye Techniques

After teaching dye workshops for many years and always having a project to dye items for I found over and over that most people don’t want to do the project.  They are so immersed in the dye process and the outcome they want to just keep dyeing.  With that in mind I am now teaching dye workshops with no project.  

I will have lots of samples of finished pieces using the type of items we will dye.  You can view the photos to get an idea but I will bring a lot more samples to show.

Fabric pieces are laid on the table, littered with fallen leaves, bygone rose petals, neglected rusty relics of iron and copper, perhaps sprinkled with tea or marigolds.  Bundles of nature are wrapped, bound, and steamed then left to transcend and create magic.  We’ll even dye some paper items too!

We will experiment with a variety of flora (I.e eucalyptus, roses) using different mordants (i.e. tannin, iron, copper) and different types of fabrics, ribbon, & dollies. We will explore rust dyeing techniques using metal objects and stencils.  We may overdye some pieces with natural dyes of avocado, black walnut, or tea.

We will experiment with several rust dyeing options as well.

When you leave class at the end of class you will have a nice pile of dye printed fabrics to use in all types of mixed media projects ~ books, jewelry, clothing adornments, fabric flowers, whatever your imagination conjures up!

Kit Fee:  $20.00 kit fee will include all types of fabrics from silk, cotton, linen to vintage pieces too.  I will have different types of paper and ideas for those.  By my bringing these items I know they will be the size needed for the dye process and the fibers necessary to dye.  

Supply List:

~Protective gloves and aprons (I will provide disposable plastic aprons/gloves).  

~Scissors

~Spray bottle (can get at Dollar Tree)

Optional:

~Extra fabrics, doilies, ribbon you have that are natural fibers you may want to dye. 

~Water color paper or other papers you think could be dyed or “marked” on.

~Stencils to use for rust dyeing, no larger than 10”.

Class will be June 7/8 from 10am-4pm each day and the location is A Work of Heart Studio 176 Race Street, San Jose, CA 95126