This intensive four-day course concentrates on the fundamentals of natural dyeing, showing you how and where to get started, which plants make good dyes and how to create a range of tones using colour modifiers to get great results. There will be a focus on using plants that can be cultivated in your own garden or gathered locally and Jacqui will teach you where to find sources of colour in your local environment.

You’ll learn about different types of natural dyes, the different formats they come in and how they can be applied to both cloth and yarn. You’ll learn the difference between cellulose and animal fibres, how to achieve good results on both types of fabric and how to measure the amount of dye needed.

We’ll use a number of natural dyes over the course of the four days including madder, weld, rhubarb root, buckthorn bark and buckthorn berry, alongside two different indigo vats, safflower and more. You’ll spend time learning about fabric and yarn preparation including how to scour and mordant properly. We will also explore the process of over-dyeing with indigo to create even more colours.