Bundle Dyeing with Flower Bouquets

When you receive a bouquet of flowers, it usually signals a special moment with someone you love. A birthday, an anniversary, a holiday, or just because. In the spring and summer, the landscape gifts us bouquets of wildflowers that you can collect from around your home. Enjoy the beautiful blooms as long as they last, but once they begin to fade you can immortalize them through natural dyeing.

In this workshop you will learn how to use those bouquets to bundle dye paper or fabric and be reminded of that moment forever.

Before this workshop begins, you will receive by mail enough mordanting materials to dye 150g of vegetable fabric and detailed mordanting instructions. Mordanting is a pre-treatment necessary to fix the pigments to the fabric. I will also be available to answer any questions about this mordanting process.

During the workshop we will talk about:

- How best to use the flowers you've collected.

- Different techniques to bundle them that will affect the final pattern.

- Three options for heating the bundles.

- How to modify your colors after dyeing.

- How to care for your naturally dyed items.

The workshop will be taught in english, but anything can be clarified in Portuguese or Spanish.

There is a 10 person limit, so I recommend you register early.

Materials you'll need to find:

- Flowers

- Natural fabric and/or thick paper

- String (twine or thick cotton string works best but you can also use thin strips of fabric from an old sheet)

- A pot that you won't use for cooking (can be a cheap aluminum pot)

- Access to water

- Access to heat

Optional materials:

- Scale (helpful for mordanting but not necessary)

- Empty metal can or glass jars like the ones beans or canned tomatoes come in (if you want to do more than one bundle it's best to source a couple - i.e. two pieces of fabric)

- Red onion skins for a little extra color

- Binder clips

Can't wait to 'see' you there! :)

FAQ:

What if I can't make it that day?

No worries! The class will be recorded and you can watch it whenever you are ready to bundle dye. I will be available to download for 30 days after the course. 

Is the price per person or per screen? 

Per screen! Recruit your housemate, friend, parent, partner, or furry companion to take it with you and share the price. 

What fabric can I use?

You can use any natural vegetable fabric (if you want to use silk, please reach out to me for separate instruction). Vegetable fabrics include cotton, linen, bamboo, viscose, etc. You can use an old white t shirt, for example, or rip up an old sheet.

What paper can I use?

Any thick cardstock paper or watercolor paper. I like to use the paper wrapping around chocolate bars and other paper packaging. If you want to make a card or a poster to hang on the wall, I would recommend A5 or A4 watercolor paper. Printer paper is too thin and will most likely rip.

What flowers and plant material can I use?

Gather what you can find and lets figure out how to use it. If you got a bouquet for valentines, that will work perfectly. If not, gift yourself a bouquet from nature and use that. Simply collect wild flowers and make yourself a foraged bouquet. We'll first do a fast trial on paper to get an idea of the results before going on to our final pieces.

What if my flowers are already drying?

Take the flowers out of the water and hang them upside down by wrapping some string around the stems. Keep them away from direct light in a well ventilated area.

What if I don't have a flower bouquet?

It's starting to feel like spring in Portugal and there are flowers everywhere. Take advantage of the sun and walk around while keeping an eye out for natural color. If you're in a place where it's still cold try getting free flowers from the flower market garbage after closing. The flowers don't have to look perfect to be perfect for dyeing.

What is mordanting?

Mordanting is a pre-treatment necessary to fix the pigments to the fabric. If you aren't concerned with making the colors last you can ignore this step.