An Introduction to Natural Dyeing. A self-paced online course
Description
Discover the alchemy and magic of extracting colour from plants ?✨ This self-paced, online course will give you all the information and knowledge you need to become a confident natural dyer, and you can do all of this from the comfort of your own home. So what are you getting? - 15 different sections (pdf's, most of which are supported by instructional videos), from sourcing materials and equipment, through to preparing your materials and dyeing. - Lifetime access to the course and all future updates. - A tutor with 30 years teaching experience who is passionate about sharing her love of natural dyeing through teaching. We're so excited to be building this creative community and can't wait to see your experiments! Once you have purchased the course, your enrolment details to access the course, and invitation to our Facebook dyeing and weaving community, will be sent to the email you provided at the checkout as soon as the course launches, on or before the 15th September 2022. Course Contents: 1 A Brief History of Natural Dyeing 2 Equipment Health & Safety 3 Different Types of Fibre 4 Different Types of Dye 5 Preparing Animal Fibre 6 Preparing Plant Fibre 7 Dyeing Essentials - Before we begin 8 Dyeing Animal Fibre – Madder 9 Dyeing Plant Fibre – Weld 10 Indigo - The King of Dyes - Preparing an Indigo Vat - Dyeing with indigo - A Glance at Shibori 11 Plant Dyes (kitchen, foraged, garden, shop bought) 12 Extending the Colour Range - Modifying - Overdyeing & Mixing Dyes 13 Colourfast Testing 14 Terminology 15 Resources Q&A's When does the course start and finish? The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. How long do I have access to the course? How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own. Do I need any experience to start the course? None whatsoever! This course is suitable for complete beginners. You will be guided through all the fundamentals, from sourcing equipment and materials before moving on to preparing your fibres and dyeing, giving you all the knowledge you need to set you in good stead for taking your dyeing further. How long is the course? The course is made up of fifteen different sections. How long it takes to complete will really vary between individuals and what you're planning on dyeing. The process of natural dyeing is slow. There's a lot of preparation to complete before any dyeing takes place. With that in mind, we'd recommend not setting yourself targets and to just enjoy the process. As a very vague guideline, if you wanted to dye a t-shirt the whole process from start to finish would take around two days, but do bear in mind that much of that time is allocated to the t-shirt being soaked for hours in the cleaning and then dyeing processes. The course has been designed so that you can either work your way through from beginning to end (we recommend this method if you've done no natural dyeing before), or you can wade straight into any section that is of specific interest and refer back to the relevant tutorials for more information. Does the course have live sessions? No. The entire course is pre-recorded video tutorials so you can play them back as many times as you need. All the tutorials are supported with clear step by step downloadable pdf instructions. What equipment do I need to start the course? You will find a full list of materials and equipment in the 'Equipment' section and a list of our recommended suppliers in the 'Resources' section. Can I enrol on the course if I live outside the UK? As this course is entirely online you can enrol from anywhere in the world! Is the course available with a dyeing starter kit? We're currently working on putting a dyeing starter kit together which will be available in October. The course provides you with a full list of equipment, materials and suppliers.
What's included in the price?
This is an online, self-paced course, designed so you can refer back to it time and time again. On enrolment you will gain lifetime access to the course and be invited to join our Facebook community of dyers and weavers.
What you will need
Equipment needed to get started: Pots, bowls, tongs, long-handled stirrer, measuring spoons, sieve, muslin, scales, measuring jug, timer, thermometer, hob, pestle and mortar, pH papers, digital pH reader, gloves, mask, goggles, apron. You will also need a few materials and dyes, all of which are listed in the 'Equipment' and 'Resources' sections of the course.
Duration
Maker
ELKA is a weaving and natural dye studio based in Hampshire. Ellie spent a large part of her childhood living abroad and travelling. The vibrant markets of the Middle and Far East triggered her passion for colour, texture and pattern and this influence is expressed through her textiles. She completed both her BA in Textile Design, specialising in woven textiles, and MA in Design for Textile Futures at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, graduating in 2006. After graduating, she moved back to Winchester to set up her weaving business which she has been running full time since 2015. In 2018 Claudia (Ellie's mum) started working with the business to produce naturally dyed yarns for Ellie to weave with, and to sell on our website. If you are too far afield to join us on an in-person workshop, we have a growing range of online self-paced courses which have been designed to get you confidently weaving and natural dyeing from you home.
Suitable for
- Adults
- Seniors
- Teenagers
- Corporate days out & team building
- Mother's Day
- School holiday workshops & activities
- Romantic
- Engagement, birthdays & anniversaries
- Suitable for beginners
- Christmas
- Stag dos
- Easter
- Hen dos
- Father's Day
FAQs
None at all! This course is suitable for complete beginners, and those with little experience who are looking for a refresher.
This course is taught online
