TEXTILES – SUMMER SESSION 3
JUNE 15-27, 2025 (11 STUDIO DAYS)
Danielle Bush and Sophena Kwon
Print and Paint with Natural Dyes

The ability to deliver rich, saturated natural dyes through the use of brushes, blocks, stencils, and silkscreens is a powerful skill that opens a world of possibilities. This workshop will lead students through the direct application of thickened dyes, thickened indigo, thickened mordants, and resists along with the dramatic ferrous/tannin combinations that get blacks to anchor all the other colors. Using all the classic natural dyes and tannins, we will extract dyes from raw materials, and students will learn to work with mordants and dyes separately and together. We will teach color mixing, developing palettes, and how to create multiple colors on the same cloth. Many thickeners will be used to achieve the consistencies needed to realize your designs. Students will leave with many pieces of finished cloth for future reference and a solid understanding of natural dyes and their applications. All levels. Third-floor textiles studio. 

Note: this workshop takes place in a third-floor walk-up studio that is made partially accessible by a stair lift.

Danielle: Textile artist working exclusively with natural dyes; fabric designer for Maiwa (Vancouver, BC), develops natural dye workshops and teaching materials for Maiwa School of Textiles (online).

Sophena: Lead clothing designer for Maiwa (Vancouver, BC); develops natural dye workshops for Maiwa School of Textiles (online); teaching: Maiwa, Penland, Shakerag (TN), Tinkuy Textile Conference (Peru), Mood Indigo at Seattle Art Museum, La Rochelle Natural Dye Conference (France). 

As part of their work with Maiwa, Danielle and Sophena travel annually to India to work in a sewing and design studio, collaborate with artisans, develop product design, help establish good, sustainable natural dyeing techniques, color palettes, and quality.

maiwa.com | @maiwaschooloftextiles | @maiwa_naturaldyes

November 15-December 16: Scholarship applications accepted
February 3: Regular enrollment opens