Oregon Botanical Dye Workshops
Mud&Craft offers Oregon botanical dye workshops for those interested in learning more about natural dyes. Our course, Experiences with Botanical Dyes, is more about the experience rather than just a lesson on natural dyes. It is a fun workshop to dive into with friends and family to learn about a sustainable approach to dyeing using natural materials. By using locally sourced wildflowers from farms and gardens on the Oregon Coast, participants will design and make their own botanically dyed textiles using two main natural dye methods.
Botanical Dyeing Methods
Flower & Leaf Pounding
Flower and leaf pounding is a botanical dyeing method that involves transferring pigments from plant materials onto fabrics. This method is most commonly used during summer months in Oregon when there is an abundance of flowers growing. Flowers and plants are carefully arranged onto the fabric and hammered onto the surface. This method of botanical dyeing produces vibrant colors and can capture intricate details of flowers and leaves creating nature inspired patterns. The official japanese name for botanical dyeing with flower and leaf pounding is Tataki Zome.
Bundle Dyeing
Bundle Dyeing, also known as Eco Printing, is another one of the methods used in our Oregon botanical dye workshops at Mud&Craft. This botanical dye method involves laying out plant and flower material onto a piece of fabric, rolling it up into a bundle and tying it up with string. Once the bundle is secured tightly with string, it is steamed or submerged into hot water which transfers the colors from the plants to the fabric. This method is best used in the winter with dried and pressed flowers that were harvested the prior summer. It’s a great way to use locally sourced plants as a natural dye during the colder months on the Northern Coast when plants and flowers aren’t in abundance.
Make your own Naturally Dyed Textiles
The best part about our class, Experiences with Botanical Dyes, is creating your own textile art. By using the flower and leaf pounding method or the bundle dye method, participants in this art workshop can create their own towel, t-shirt or tank top. The fabric used by students in the class is pre-washed with soda ash that gets rid of contaminants and a metal salt mordant used to help the natural dyes bind to the fabric. This process helps create beautiful and vibrant textile designs that last a long time and don’t fade. Participants will be given a wash and care guide for their new towel or shirt to keep the colors as bright as possible. Botanical dyeing with leaves and flowers is a fun and easy way to create beautiful and natural designs on textiles to wear or to use in your home.
Experiences with Botanical Dyes is a regular textile class offered in Nehalem, Oregon at NCRD or at Tara’s home depending on the season. This natural dye class can also be booked as a private event or party. Reach out to tara@mudhandcraft.com to inquire about a private botanical dye workshop for a bachelorette party, birthday party, business event or a family gathering. This workshop may be limited based on the season and if indigo and fresh flowers are in stock. Make sure to reach out ahead of time!
Follow @mudandcraft on instagram and make sure to check out other Oregon Coast Art Classes and Pottery Lessons offered at Mud&Craft throughout the year.
This organization is supported, in part, by a grant funded by Transient Lodging Tax dollars through Tillamook Coast Visitors Association.
