Dyeing with Natural Dyes with Debbie MacCrea & Carol Wood

This program covers two days and classes can be taken together or singularly.

July 17 & 18 Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm each day

Fee $95 per day includes all materials or both days at discount – $150

Participants need to bring rubber gloves, note taking materials, box lunch & snacks, and face mask.

Day 1, July 17, Saturday – Spectrum of Colors from Natural Dyes

Natural dyes on yarn, fabric, or fleece may be used in a wide variety of fiber arts, from weaving, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint or embroidery to historical reenactment costuming and more. Participants in this day-long workshop will learn about the natural dye process, wool-handling, basic color theory, and safety considerations. They will gain hands-on experience with the processes of dyeing on wool and silk with natural materials, a range of color possibilities (achieved through the use of mordants, assists, single- and multi-color dyestuffs, including cochineal, indigo, and others), and how to record their dyeing results for further exploration. Each student will take home samples of approximately 20 colors from 3-5 dye pots, complete instructions/recipes, a reference list and list of suppliers.

Day 2, July 18, Sunday – Natural Dyeing to the Next Level with Surface Design

Participants will gain experience with surface design techniques on fabric and/or yarn using natural dyes, color remover, thickening agents, and resists. This workshop is for dyers with some experience (or participants from the day before) will include top dyeing, discharge, printing and painting, and shibori and related resist dyeing – with colors from 3-5 dye pots. Each student will take home samples of fabrics and yarns (from Sunday’s lessons), complete instructions/recipes, a reference list, and list of suppliers.

The Instructors: Debbie MacCrea & Carol Wood have over three decades of active dyeing experience, longer still as passionate gardeners and growers of flowers, herbs, vegetables, and dye plants.

With a lifelong career in sewing and garment patterning, Debbie’s life is tied up in textiles. She has been Costume Shop Supervisor at Alfred University’s Division of Performing Arts for 23 years, teaching costume-related classes there for over ten years.

Carol has been a fiber artist for most of her adult life and has been teaching dyeing, knitting, weaving, and designing for more than fifteen years. Educated in studio art (bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing), she has been interested in natural dyes since high school and many of her projects have incorporated hand-dyed yarns, fleece or fabric.

Debbie and Carol have taught dye workshops together since 1994 at the NY Sheep & Wool Festival, John C. Campbell Folk School, Finger Lakes Fiber Festival, Mid Atlantic Fiber Association, and for guilds and other groups.

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