Land-Based Natural Dye Workshops
Hands-on learning experiences at Cait’s outdoor dye studio in Williamstown, NJ. All dyestuffs used are grown onsite and locally foraged.
Found Color | Spring Dye Foraging Workshop
Sunday, May 18th
10am - 1pm
Come explore the possibilities of found color. During this 3-hour natural dye workshop, lead by Cait Nolan with the assistance of Laura Hricko, we will discuss sustainable dye plant foraging practices, explore concepts like native, non-native and “invasive”, and get hands on experience dyeing with locally foraged Bradford pear bark.
We will also get a little sciencey as we dive into soy pretreatment as an alternative to metal salt mordanting and nerd out about the most common dye compounds found in locally foraged dye stuffs.
All materials are included in the registration fee including a soy pretreated organic cotton shawl (44” x 89”) and a 4-page informational hand out.
This workshop will be held at Cait’s home dye studio in Williamstown, NJ (about 30 minutes from Philadelphia).
Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 grams of additional fiber to dye.
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
Refund Policy: I will issue a full refund provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.
Fresh Leaf on the Farm - Indigo Dyeing | June
Sunday, June 29th
10am - 1pm
Led by Cait Nolan with assistance from Laura Hricko.
In this workshop we will harvest and process the Japanese indigo grown in Cait’s dye garden.
Together in the garden-side dye studio we will experiment with a variety of fresh leaf dyeing methods including: ice water, salt rub and hapazome.
As we work, Cait will demystify the natural chemical processes at play in the transformation from leaf green to indigo blue. Things will get technical but, don’t worry, it will still feel like magic.
All materials are included in the registration fee including a soy pre-treated cotton bandana (24” X24”), a Handwoven Mulberry Silk Bandana 21” x 21”, raw silk sample and 1 page informational handout.
This workshop will be held at Cait’s home dye studio in Williamstown, NJ (about 30 minutes from Philadelphia).
Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 grams of additional fiber to dye.
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
Refund Policy: I will issue a full refund provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.
Plant to Print: Eco-Printing with Wildflowers | July
Lead by Laura Hricko & assisted by Cait Nolan
Workshop Description: Join me for this hands-on three hour workshop at fellow natural dyer, Cait Nolan's, South Jersey Farm located just 30 minutes from Philly. Learn how to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind botanical prints on textiles with freshly picked flowers. This workshop will lead participants through the natural dye process known as "eco-printing" using locally grown dye flowers. We’ll take time to discuss the basics of natural dyeing, including fiber preparation and plant selection, while leaving plenty opportunity for you to gather your own flowers for printing from Cait's homegrown wildflower field. You'll leave this workshop having created an eco-printed silk scarf and bandana and with pdf handouts that will allow you to continue investigating these practices on your own. Get inspired by the magic of coaxing color from cheerful flowers to create works of art on fabric.
This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience ages 12+. The $95 per person workshop fee covers all materials and supplies. Please complete a new form for each individual that you are registering for this workshop.
Artist Bio: Laura Hricko is an artist, educator, and lifelong Philadelphian dedicated to the conviction that art is transformative and capable of enriching the lives of all people. Laura’s artistic practice involves various fiber arts techniques including quilting, mending, embroidery, and textile surface design. Most recently, Laura has been captivated by the processes of natural dyeing, which allow her to feel a deeper connection with nature and history, as she employs these ancient craft techniques to coax color from homegrown, foraged, and food-waste natural dye sources.
Fresh Leaf on the Farm - Indigo Dyeing | July
Sunday, July 27th
9am - 12pm
Led by Cait Nolan with assistance from Laura Hricko.
In this workshop we will harvest and process the Japanese indigo grown in Cait’s dye garden.
Together in the garden-side dye studio we will experiment with a variety of fresh leaf dyeing methods including: ice water, salt rub and hapazome.
As we work, Cait will demystify the natural chemical processes at play in the transformation from leaf green to indigo blue. Things will get technical but, don’t worry, it will still feel like magic.
All materials are included in the registration fee including a soy pre-treated cotton bandana (24” X24”), a Handwoven Mulberry Silk Bandana 21” x 21”, raw silk sample and 1 page informational handout.
This workshop will be held at Cait’s home dye studio in Williamstown, NJ (about 30 minutes from Philadelphia).
Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 grams of additional fiber to dye.
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
Refund Policy: I will issue a full refund provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.
Plant to Print: Eco-Printing with Wildflowers | August 3rd
Lead by Laura Hricko & assisted by Cait Nolan
Workshop Description: Join me for this hands-on three hour workshop at fellow natural dyer, Cait Nolan's, South Jersey Farm located just 30 minutes from Philly. Learn how to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind botanical prints on textiles with freshly picked flowers. This workshop will lead participants through the natural dye process known as "eco-printing" using locally grown dye flowers. We’ll take time to discuss the basics of natural dyeing, including fiber preparation and plant selection, while leaving plenty opportunity for you to gather your own flowers for printing from Cait's homegrown wildflower field. You'll leave this workshop having created an eco-printed silk scarf and bandana and with pdf handouts that will allow you to continue investigating these practices on your own. Get inspired by the magic of coaxing color from cheerful flowers to create works of art on fabric.
This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience ages 12+. The $95 per person workshop fee covers all materials and supplies. Please complete a new form for each individual that you are registering for this workshop.
Artist Bio: Laura Hricko is an artist, educator, and lifelong Philadelphian dedicated to the conviction that art is transformative and capable of enriching the lives of all people. Laura’s artistic practice involves various fiber arts techniques including quilting, mending, embroidery, and textile surface design. Most recently, Laura has been captivated by the processes of natural dyeing, which allow her to feel a deeper connection with nature and history, as she employs these ancient craft techniques to coax color from homegrown, foraged, and food-waste natural dye sources.
Plant to Print: Eco-Printing with Wildflowers | August 17th
Lead by Laura Hricko & assisted by Cait Nolan
Workshop Description: Join me for this hands-on three hour workshop at fellow natural dyer, Cait Nolan's, South Jersey Farm located just 30 minutes from Philly. Learn how to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind botanical prints on textiles with freshly picked flowers. This workshop will lead participants through the natural dye process known as "eco-printing" using locally grown dye flowers. We’ll take time to discuss the basics of natural dyeing, including fiber preparation and plant selection, while leaving plenty opportunity for you to gather your own flowers for printing from Cait's homegrown wildflower field. You'll leave this workshop having created an eco-printed silk scarf and bandana and with pdf handouts that will allow you to continue investigating these practices on your own. Get inspired by the magic of coaxing color from cheerful flowers to create works of art on fabric.
This workshop is appropriate for all levels of experience ages 12+. The $95 per person workshop fee covers all materials and supplies. Please complete a new form for each individual that you are registering for this workshop.
Artist Bio: Laura Hricko is an artist, educator, and lifelong Philadelphian dedicated to the conviction that art is transformative and capable of enriching the lives of all people. Laura’s artistic practice involves various fiber arts techniques including quilting, mending, embroidery, and textile surface design. Most recently, Laura has been captivated by the processes of natural dyeing, which allow her to feel a deeper connection with nature and history, as she employs these ancient craft techniques to coax color from homegrown, foraged, and food-waste natural dye sources.
Fresh Leaf on the Farm - Indigo Dyeing | August
Sunday, August 24th
9am - 12pm
Led by Cait Nolan with assistance from Laura Hricko.
In this workshop we will harvest and process the Japanese indigo grown in Cait’s dye garden.
Together in the garden-side dye studio we will experiment with a variety of fresh leaf dyeing methods including: ice water, salt rub and hapazome.
As we work, Cait will demystify the natural chemical processes at play in the transformation from leaf green to indigo blue. Things will get technical but, don’t worry, it will still feel like magic.
All materials are included in the registration fee including a soy pre-treated cotton bandana (24” X24”), a Handwoven Mulberry Silk Bandana 21” x 21”, raw silk sample and 1 page informational handout.
This workshop will be held at Cait’s home dye studio in Williamstown, NJ (about 30 minutes from Philadelphia).
Participants are welcome to bring up to 500 grams of additional fiber to dye.
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
Refund Policy: I will issue a full refund provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.
Leaf to Vat: Indigo Aqueous Extraction & Organic Vat Building
Saturday, September 6th 10am - 5pm
Sunday, September 7th 10am - 1pm
Led by Cait Nolan with assistance from Laura Hricko.
During this two day hands on workshops we will explore aqueous extractions, indigo pigment rendering and organic vat making.
We will harvest Japanese indigo leaves growing on site, use the aqueous extraction method to create homegrown indigo pigment and then use homegrown indigo pigment to build two different types of organic indigo vats.
Cait has been growing Japanese indigo from seed, processing pigment and building organic vats for 6 years. She can’t wait to share her perspective and experience. If you are growing indigo bearing plants and you want to learn to take them from leaf to vat this workshop is for you.
All materials are included in the registration fee including an organic cotton shawl (44” x 89”), fabric for test strips, one 64oz mason jar and a multi page informational hand out.
Participants are welcome to bring up to 1kg of additional natural fiber to dye.
This workshop is limited to 8 participants
Workshop Schedule
Day 1
10am - 1pm: Introduction, harvesting, lecture, hands-on aqueous extraction
1pm - 2pm: Lunch (not included/participant bag lunch)
2pm - 5pm: Lecture/discussion on vat chemistry, vat building, dyeing
Day 2
10am - 1pm: Extraction observations, processing extractions, pigment rendering, pigment applications, vat observations, dyeing.
Travel (Not included)
Recommend Airport
Philadelphia International Airport - 30 Minutes
Atlantic City International Airport - 30 Minutes
Accommodations (Not Included)
Hotels less than 5 miles from workshop location
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
REFUND POLICY
$75 of the registration fee is considered a non-refundable deposit. I will issue a partial refund of $275 provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund, less the $75 deposit, following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.
If the workshop is cancelled for any reason a full refund will be issued including the deposit.
Found Color | Fall Foraging Workshop
Sunday, October 5th
1pm - 4pm
Come explore the possibilities of found color. During this 3 hour natural dye workshop, lead by Cait Nolan with the assistance of Laura Hricko, we will discuss sustainable dye plant foraging practices, explore concepts like native, non-native and “invasive”, and get hands on experience dyeing with locally foraged black walnut an simple resist techniques.
We will also get a little sciencey as we dive into soy pretreatment as an alternative to metal salt mordanting and nerd out about the most common dye compounds found in locally foraged dye stuffs.
All materials are included in the registration fee including a soy pretreated organic cotton shawl (44” x 89”) and a 4-page informational hand out.
This workshop will be held at Cait’s home dye studio in Williamstown, NJ (about 30 minutes from Philadelphia)
Participants are welcome to bring an additional 500 grams of fiber to dye.
Please review my refund policy prior to finalizing your payment.
Refund Policy: I will issue a full refund provided a written withdrawal notice is emailed to me at caitmnolan@gmail.com. Any withdrawal notice must be received 14 days prior to the first day of a workshop for a full refund. Students who wish to withdraw fewer than 14 days before the first day of the workshop will be issued a 50% refund following the above procedure. No refunds will be issued after the first day of a workshop.