Naturally Dyed Journals

Three-part workshop – August 6, 7 & 8 | 5-8PM

In this three part class we’ll create blank books with naturally dyed covers. The focus of this workshop is learning mordant printing which is a natural dyeing technique that allows you to make patterns, prints and designs on fabric. After making these one of a kind fabrics in the first two sessions, we’ll use them in the third to create blank books (with prepared text blocks) to use as a journal, sketchbook or maybe even a garden planner (to bring it full circle back to the plants we’ll use for dyeing). 

There are a lot of techniques we’ll be packing into our brief three session workshop. But we’ll find moments to talk about the dye plants and minerals we’ll be using, and lots of others. While we print and tend dye pots we’ll talk about growing, sourcing, and processing dyestuffs and how practicing these techniques can help deepen our relationship with the natural world.  

Students will go home with a beautifully printed journal and lots of resources to continue exploring printing with natural dyes and book making.    

Session 1: Introduction to printmaking with natural dyes: mordant printing

We’ll enjoy good company, block printing or painting with mordants (or negative printing with lemon juice on mordanted fabric). This is the first step in a series of fascinating and ancient techniques for printing on fabric with natural dyes. The marks you make in this first session will remain mysterious until we complete the process in session two, after these fabrics have dried.

Session 2: Dyeing our prints

In this second part of the workshop we’ll complete the dyeing process of our book cloth with natural dyes. This involves a series of processes, preparing dyestuffs, dunging the fabric, and dyeing the fabric, when we will get to see the final results.

Session 3: Bookmaking

In this final session we will use our unique piece of fabric to make book cloth and case-bind a text block (prepared ahead of time). Students will go home with their finished journals, recipes and maybe even some seeds for future projects.