Natural Dyeing Class with Justin | Chestnut, Weld, & Indigo

Join us for a natural dye workshop exploring the rich, earthy beauty of Weld, Chestnut, and Indigo!

In this hands-on class, we’ll work with historic natural dye extracts to create layered, nature-inspired colorways. We’ll begin by dyeing with Chestnut Extract, derived from the bark and heartwood of the Sweet Chestnut tree, to create warm brown base tones rich in tannins. We’ll then overdye the chestnut-dyed yarn with indigo to create beautiful Mallard greens!

We’ll also dye with Weld Extract, an ancient yellow dye plant prized for its lightfastness and vibrant color. Weld has been used for centuries throughout Europe and Central Asia and is known for producing shades ranging from soft lemon yellow to deep golden tones.

Students will learn about:

• Natural dye extracts and how they behave on fiber
• Mordanting and dye preparation
• Indigo overdye techniques
• How tannins and plant pigments interact

*Photos from previous class

Justin Bullard an RN, urban alchemist and ethnobotanist, with undergraduate and masters degrees in medical ethnobotany that included extensive travels and field work in Nepal. He has also studied indigo dyeing and sericulture in Japan.
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When he’s not registered nursing he’s an accomplished craftsman in the fiber arts, silver smithing, and has an all-natural soap line of  "Urban Alchemist” soaps among other natural products. 
 

From Justin's Bio: "I've been studying herbal medicine from the age of 13, and was raised using medicinal plants at home. I have formally studied ethnomedicine, phytochemistry, nutrition, microbiology, botany, medical anthropology. And had the privilege of studying with Carol Hendrickson, Lucia Cargill, Roy Ellen, Nadia Lovell, Laura Rival and Bryan Whitehead.”