Workshop: Discovering Natural Dyes

Jump into the science and practice of dyeing with natural materials! Historian and educator Audra Wolfe will guide participants through the steps of dyeing fibers and talk about the rich history of natural dyes around the world.

Many plants are colorful, but only some plants produce color that lasts. The process of dyeing with plants has several different stages: extracting the dye, mordanting the fiber, the actual dyeing, and, if desired, modifying the color after dyeing. While we can’t work through the entire process from start-to-finish in a short workshop, this presentation will demonstrate each of the steps sequentially, giving participants the confidence to try it out, more slowly, at home. We will be working with sage (gray-green) and dried dahlia flowers (orangey-brown), combining them with various mordants, modifiers, and fibers.

Audra Wolfe is a West Philadelphia-based weaver and fiber artist. She particularly enjoys coaxing color from plants, a practice that resonates with her experiences growing up on a farm, training as a chemist, and writing about the history of science. Audra is currently the president of the Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers.

This program is made possible through the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This free event will take place at Wyck Historic House, Garden, and Farm (6026 Germantown Avenue, Germantown PA 19144) in the Ed Shed. The Ed Shed is located near the parking lot at the Walnut Lane entrance.

Parking is available on the street- free on Walnut Lane and metered on Germantown Avenue.

Contact info@wyck.org with questions or to be put on a waitlist.