I am so excited to be returning to Anchorage!
The Chugach National Forest is home to diverse habitats and fungal species, some of which are valued for their use as natural dyes. Join us at The Art Lounge in Anchorage as we explore the region’s wide range of colorful dyes from fungi. This class welcomes all experience levels.
Saturday, September 21, we’ll start our workshop at The Art Lounge, Anchorage’s most cozy and creative maker space. After tea and introductions, we’ll get right to it, beginning with an overview of the process. We’ll touch on all aspects of working with fungal dyes, including the history, safe practices, ethical harvesting techniques, testing species for color, identification basics, and tools of the trade. You’ll receive recipes and a detailed guidebook for reference that covers everything discussed in class and includes pictures of some of the best regional dye species.
Next, we’ll work together to reveal the region's brilliant mushroom dye palette. Using a curated selection of ten species, with the addition of mordants and pH modifiers, we’ll create over 20 samples - a full spectrum of color! While the dyes are extracting, we’ll discuss habitats, identification tools, and ways to engage with the citizen science community. At the end of the day, you’ll have a solid foundation for working with fungi, which you can customize to fit your personal mycological and textile arts journey.
Sunday morning, we’ll regroup for a fun day of dyeing 4 -6 oz of your preferred protein fibers. This part of the workshop allows you to dye the fiber you love while observing fiber selection's subtle role in the final results. You’ll want to stick to animal fibers like wool, alpaca, mohair, or silk or use vegan alternatives like soy silk and nylon. Cellulose fibers do not take the dyes well using this simplified process, so it is best to leave those at home. Fiber should be washed, sorted into small, half-oz to one-oz bundles, and labeled for ease. Fiber can be fleece, yarn, felt, or fabric and does not need to be mordanted. We’ll work with abundant dye species, taking a more relaxed approach.
We’ll close the weekend by reviewing the process, admiring our results, and exchanging contact info with new friends.
$45 supply fee to be paid at class (cash or Venmo) includes climate-beneficial yarn samples, an in-depth guide booklet, and a silk scarf for practicing a resist design.
(Subject to slight variation as needed)
