Join me, Lora Lea, and Rick Misterly at their world-renowned Quillisascut Farm - School of the Domestic Arts for a destination workshop like no other. This workshop is more than a dye class; it's a farm stay, a foodie's dream, and a textile arts experience rolled into one. Look forward to experiencing farm life with fresh homegrown meals and slow food opportunities within a bed-and-breakfast-style experience. Quillisascut Farm has been welcoming students for over 20 years.
Pre-workshop arrival: Check-in is at 2 p.m. Thursday, August 2. Set up your lodging space and get acquainted with life on the Quillisascut farm. Lora Lea and Rick Misterly are known for their award-winning cheeses. You'll be delighted as we sample these coveted farmstead delicacies. At 6 p.m., dinner will be served at the big farm table, known to many as the place where the magic happens. Dinner will be followed by a slideshow detailing the art and science behind mushroom and lichen dyeing from start to finish.
Day One: Delving into the Greater Northwest Regional Rainbow We kick off our day with a light farmstead breakfast showcasing Quillisascut's seasonal delights. From there, we'll get right to it and start our discussion on working with fungal dyes. We'll talk about the history and meaningfulness of incorporating place into your creations and the steps to getting started with ethics and best practices in mind. We'll discuss mushroom and lichen identification concepts, including morphology, spore printing, the intricate relationship between fungi and plants, and spot testing for insight. We'll share ideas for habitat conservation and community science opportunities.
We'll then hop into the hands-on dye-extracting process. Using a curated selection of the Northwest's finest regional dye species, we'll take our time observing how each mushroom and lichen reveals its color uniquely. We'll pay close attention to the temperatures and extraction times and use pH modifiers and mineral salts such as alum and iron to shift colors. We'll find a unique way to display our samples as a memento of our time together on the farm. You'll take home recipes that detail our process that you can refer to during future exploration.
Intermissions throughout the day will allow you to peek in on farm activities and sample tasty snacks. Lunch will be provided at noon daily. After class, you'll have time to retreat for reflection, work on crafts, go for a walk, or help out around the farm. Every day, we'll share dinner together around the table, followed by optional after-dinner activities, including a UV light guided night foray, an introduction to using iNaturalist, participant-directed Q&A, and more.
Day Two: Fungal Fiber Connection Saturday morning, after breakfast, we'll gather again to prepare our chosen protein fibers for the dye pot. We'll use more common and abundant mushroom and lichen species to create a project-sized selection of vibrant colors.
Before class, head to your local yarn shop or fiber store and select 6 ounces of white or natural-colored protein-based fiber of your choice. Silk, wool, alpaca, mohair, or other animal fibers work best. Fiber can be in the form of yarn, fleece, or fabric but should be washed and weighed into one-ounce parcels. Pre-mordanting is not required; we will use dyes that can be modified simultaneously. This workshop aspect shows how fiber selection plays a role in showcasing the color. Observing everyone's variable results will enable you to take note and move forward confidently in fiber selection. Lunch and mini breaks are included, so you don't miss out on the delights and excitement of farm life.
At the end of this immersive experience, you'll be equipped with skills that empower your fungal dye journey, and you'll likely have also picked up some farmstead skills along the way. You'll depart with a comprehensive color guidebook, firsthand experience optimizing results, tried and true recipes, a rainbow of inspiring samples, an elegantly designed silk scarf, and enough mushroom-dyed fiber for a project. Best of all, you'll make new friends and build beautiful memories at Quillisascut Farm.
We'll finish our last day with a celebratory meal and a toast to our hosts! Check-out is Sunday morning at 11.
Register at Quillisascut Farm
(subject to slight variations as necessary)
