Join us Saturday, September 17th, from 10am-3pm for a magical day of converting your favorite flowers into beautiful natural colors for yarn and fibers!
Enhance your appreciation for the natural world with a day of dyeing Wing & A Prayer
Farm yarns using foraged and found materials for luminescent, beautiful color. Through
demonstration, discussion, and a hands-on approach, Tammy from Wing and Prayer Farm will lead you on journey of exploring the world of natural color. Local resources are the heart of Tammy’s natural dyeing stock but, additionally, she sources through a variety of methods to obtain colors as sustainably as possible. The class will begin with a demo which details preparation of fiber and dye stock, different methods of coloring your yarn, and samples of seasonal palettes.
In this workshop, you will learn how to derive color from a variety of materials such as flower petals, berries, pine cones, and found objects from the field, forest and even your very own kitchen.
You will learn how to prepare your fibers for dyeing using simple mordants that can be collected from the garden or the woodland floor, and about overdyes and modifiers to alter your colors to produce lasting, naturally beautiful yarn.
There will be time to explore Eco Printing & Bundle Dyeing for varied prints and colors using leaves, flowers, nuts and bark.
We’ll explore the various methods of extracting color from a range of objects.
You will leave with a set of hand-dyed mini-skeins and complimentary pattern, along with other samples of your work.
Be prepared – Things to Know!
Supplies: Please bring with you a good pair of rubber or latex gloves for dyeing and an apron or work clothes to protect your skin and clothes. A notebook and pencil for keeping notes is recommended.
Materials: Materials fee of $30 includes pre-prepared fibers of Wing & A Prayer Farm yarn and natural textiles for various dyeing techniques demonstrated and taught, as well as all dye stuffs and supplies. The materials fee is included in the workshop cost.
Food & Beverage: We will provide a boxed lunch for all, along with beverages. Please let us know when you register if you have any food allergies.
This event will take place outdoors, under a tent. If severe weather threatens, we will re-schedule and refund as necessary, but a little rain or drizzle won’t stop us!
The pace of the workshop is steady and relaxed, as there is no rushing natural dyeing.
We will ensure you have plenty of time to learn without becoming overwhelmed if you
are new to dyeing, or ask questions and explore if you come with some background in
dyeing.
Tammy is a shepherdess on Wing & A Prayer Farm in Southern Vermont where she
raises various fiber flocks and herds to cultivate breed-specific farm yarns. In addition to
caring for the farm of sheep, alpacas, goats, and more, she dyes her own yarn with color
from nature using plant matter in her surrounds and natural dye extracts. She has over
30 years of experience as an educator and she regularly shares at workshops and farm
tours. Interest in using what is at hand is the foundation of Tammy’s dyeing experience. Her approach is a combination of hands’ on and education. Utilizing both precision and
intuition to get the most of out of the natural dye process helps her to render reliable
colors, with fastness, on her beloved flocks’ fiber.