I am so excited to announce our newest project: The Modern Natural Dyer Work-Along. With my new book, The Modern Natural Dyer, in hand, I have designed a year long course of study to guide you through the book and through the natural dyeing process.
THE GOAL
The goal of my book is to inspire as many people possible to try natural dyeing and to offer those who are dyeing already new techniques. The goal of The Modern Natural Dyer Work-Along is the same.
I have found that project-based learning helps create a direct method for exploring technique. In the Modern Natural Dyer, there are 20 projects, each exploring a different part of the natural dyeing process. With seasonality in mind, the Work-Along is broken into three phases. In Phase 1, the focus is on the basics of natural dyeing and learning to use natural dyeing extracts.
PHASE 1 : WINTER / SPRING - NATURAL DYEING EXTRACTS
Natural dyeing extracts are fine, concentrated powders derived from whole dyestuffs - like leaves, bark, wood, and roots. They are easy to use, and their compact nature make them easy to store. Because we are starting in the Winter, we thought this would be the best place to begin.
These are the projects we will work on:
JANUARY PROJECT: Northwoods Hat (or silk scarf kit) + Sock Hop!
FEBRUARY PROJECT: Wanderlust Bag
MARCH PROJECT: Sandstone Shawl
APRIL PROJECT: Iron-Age Tee
The main correspondence of the work-along will take place on the Verb blog and on the Verb Instagram account. The first week of every month, we will post an overview of the project, lessons to be learned within that specific project, with tips and tricks to complete the project. The second and third weeks of the month are dedicated to doing the projects. The fourth week of the month, we will show progress photos of the projects.
By working on these projects you will learn:
+ the difference between fiber types
+ to naturally dye protein-based and cellulose-based fibers
+ to plan for projects
+ to work efficiently and effectively
+ to combine natural dyeing extracts to create a wide-range of color
+ to learn how fibers within the same type absorb color
+ to use iron
+ to dye garments
+ and more!
We are still working out some of the details for Phase 2 and 3 - but can promise that there are many good things in the works - like indigo dyeing, working with whole dyestuffs, and dye gardening - by completing Phase 1, you will be all ready to go!!
STAYING CONNECTED
The Verb staff will be working along - showing examples of our work. We also plan to have guests along the way! Each week, we will be posting to the blog and instagram (#themodernnaturaldyerworkalong) about the topics listed. We plan to utilize Periscope, a new app, where you can watch me use natural dyes and ask me questions about the process. I will be teaching classes based upon the Work-Along during 2016, in the Verb dye studio and around the US. Plus! In January, I am releasing two online classes with Creativebug. So that way you can see the natural dyeing process in action!
January 12 - How to Dye Wool, Silk and Other Protein Fibers
January 19 - How to Dye Cotton, Linen, and Other Cellulose Fibers
THE KIT
Working within the same intention as when I wrote my book, to see people learn the natural dyeing process as easily and as thoroughly as possible, I created a line of natural dyeing kits in order to help people source the materials to create the projects in the books. Right now, we offer the following projects as kits: Northwoods Hat, Sock Hop, Flowers at My Fingertips, and the Waves Bandana.
For The Modern Natural Dyer Work-Along, we are following the same practice and have created a large kit to cover all of the projects in Phase 1, including all of the scour, mordant, dye, and materials which we will dye (yarn, fabric, t-shirts, etc.) Click here to learn more.
When you purchase the kit, you have the option of customization. We will send you an email with a series of questions. For example, in January, you choose between the northwoods hat kit or a silk scarf kit. And then, choose which color you would like: red, yellow, or purple.
Purchasing this as one large kit, rather than a series of smaller kits, you will save over 25%.
Plus, for the month of December, we are offering an even larger discount.
To celebrate the start of the Work-Along, we are giving the first fifty people who purchase a kit a FREE Verb Natural Dye Journal. Designed in our Oakland studio, and printed in Berkeley, this tool will help you keep record of your progress and help you learn.
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We hope you will join us on this journey and participate in The Modern Natural Dyer Work-Along. Please do let me know if you have any questions. This book is chock full of information - and I want to be here to help you dive in!
-- Kristine