Dyeing Complex Colour
Discover new ways to add complexity and richness to your hand-dyed colourways using acid dyes and protein-based fibres. This course builds upon our foundation of creating intentional colour and explores hand-dyeing techniques to add that elusive depth and richness that makes colours sing.
Discover new ways to add complexity and richness to your hand-dyed colourways using acid dyes and protein-based fibres. Building upon the skills and knowledge in our Dyeing Intentional Colour course, this course will explore:
- Developing a deeper understanding of colours and colour theory, focusing specifically on what happens when colours are mixed and learning to create or avoid muddy hues
- Creating glazed, layered, and tonal hand-dyed colour effects through immersion dyeing and the addition of delicate resists
- Manipulating the variables of dyeing to produce non-repeating multi-coloured yarns with a low water immersion technique
- Learning how to create handpainted yarns and spinning fibres for repeating colour sequences
- Understanding and creating different self-striping colour sequences
- Applying these dye techniques and methods to knitted sock blanks to produce even more hand-dyed effects on yarn
- Finding ways to make the dyeing process more safe, efficient, and productive through equipment, studio setup, and preparation.
This course builds upon our foundation of creating intentional colour and explores hand-dyeing techniques to add that elusive depth and richness that makes colours sing.
Through 47 video lessons in 8 modules and over 5 hours of content, you can walk beside me as I dye yarn in sixteen different examples. My dyeing style involves working with precision and intention as I create colourways, so you can join me as I lead you through the simple math calculations that are so helpful in preparing for an efficient and effective session in the dye studio.
Let’s begin!
For any questions and to share your dyeing adventures, come visit us in the SOS community forums! Plus, tag us on Instagram with #sosdyeing and #schoolofsweetgeorgia!
The lovely little things about getting ready for a day of dyeing at the @sweetgeorgia studio. Charlotte @charlotte_milkteacup expertly teaches tips and techniques on dyeing large batches at the Dyeing Large amounts of Yarn course, available to all SOS Members! Visit the School today: schoolofsweetgeorgia.com
#sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #dyeing #dyeingyarn #indiedyer #handdyeing
Plans & Projects
When dyeing all the fabric this month, I did have plans. Sometimes projects don’t turn out and I need to pivot. This can be sad and sometimes an unexpected delight. When making by hand, I have to stay flexible.
I always try to have a plan before I start as I don’t want to craft or dye just for the sake of making. True, I believe in sampling and not everything needs to be something. That is how I play and learn. But I always try to use the item for something after the fact. Doesn’t always work but I try.
Now that I am done dyeing, I am reflecting on the initial plans and where I need to pivot. For this month of dyeing, I have already made two dresses which was the plan. The third dress will now be a quilted jacket, this is a pivot in the project and in how I dyed it. The canvas was gonna grow up to be a backpack for an upcoming trip but since that trip is days away, that won’t happen. But it still may be a backpack, I am unsure now, I have to think about it. The cotton muslin will be for embroidery (along with any scraps from all mentioned projects).
This will keep me busy (on top of all the other crafting I do lol). I think next summer I will focus on wool and yarn dyeing. But as always, plans can change, we will see!
Pictures are in order: cotton, canvas, plaid cotton, linen
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeingwithflowers #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #naturallydyed #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyeing
Canvas
Oh, almost forgot to share. I also had three leftover pieces of canvas which I dyed with the eco printing remains bath and gave one piece an iron dunk.
I also had some madder dyed canvas. The madder exhaust bath was so weak, the camera couldn’t pick up on the subtle warmth in the colour. But I did get a different shade in the iron.
So I just took a picture of the eco plant remains and madder dyed canvas together.
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeingwithflowers #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #naturallydyed #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyeing
Gradient
Remember that super blotchy marigold fabric I dyed?? I took it most of it and cooked it in that pot of eco-printing remains.
Then I made a 2% iron bath and put some of the fabric in. I staggered the times on when it came out to get different degrees of saddening.
I still have blotchy fabric but in a gradient of colours now. And there are even more colours within in piece of cloth because of the blotchy spots.
The plan is to make a patchwork quilted jacket. When I fussy cut the squares, it won’t look blotchy but intentional.
I am very happy with these results!
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeflowers #linen #ecoprinting #ecoprintingonfabric #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyed #naturaldyeing #dyeingwithflowers
Proud
Of course I used the Shift dress pattern by Wiksten again lol. Since I’ve already sewn this pattern twice this summer, I can practically sew it in my sleep.
This was dyed with madder extract from maiwa_naturaldyes , at a very low WOF and a light iron bath. Then the fabric was eco-printed with fresh flowers and plants I grew on my balcony with seeds from grandprismaticseed
The fabric was actually in two different-sized pieces that came from a scraps bag also from Maiwa. I had just enough yardage for a dress 😊 For the eco-printing to look even, I laid one piece of fabric over the other with some flowers face up and face down before rolling and steaming.
I hacked the pattern again so all three of my dresses would be just a little bit different. This dress is the top pattern, cut at a high waste, and I pleated the extra fabric for the dress portion which is about 3” wider than the top and has no slit at the sides. Oh, and no pockets (only because I didn’t have enough fabric lol).
I learned almost all of my natural dyeing and growing a dye garden from schoolofsweetgeorgia with instructor ffrench . Highly recommend!!! I also took tips from Kathy Hatori from botanicalcolors who also teaches hand-painting yarn at the school (lots of tips still work on fabric!) *I also read an insane amount of books and blogs on natural dyeing.
There are a few things I could point out that went wrong but I won’t. I’m just so pleased with how it turned out. Lots of firsts here too. I’m proud to wear all my mistakes and all my firsts!!
(Oh and yes, I still won’t iron my garments before a photo shoot 😂 a wrinkled mess, that’s me!!)
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeflowers #linen #ecoprinting #ecoprintingonfabric #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyed #naturaldyeing #dyeingwithflowers #maiwanaturaldyes #botanicalcolors #sewing #grandprismaticseed #shiftdress #wikstenshift #wikstenpatterns #handmadewardrobe #handmade
No waste!
Yesterday I cooked up all the remains I picked off my eco printed fabric. Why waste good dye stuff when there is still life in it!
Today is my last dye day of the year! (Let me say here, this dye pot smells incredible!!!)
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeflowers #linen #ecoprinting #ecoprintingonfabric #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyed #naturaldyeing #dyeingwithflowers
Mix
In these linens is a mix of my dye plants and flowers that I have purchased from local markets (a few wood chips as well). This fabric will be used in a quilted blanket or quilted jacket… something quilted lol.
There are many things to change for future eco printing: Tighter bundles make better prints. Making sure plant materials get to the edges of the fabric. And less is more 😆 I kind of over did it in places.
I would also like to experiment with separators so colours doesn’t bleed into other layers, iron printing and discharged print design. I also didn’t get a chance to do an indigo dyeing this year or play with Shibori techniques.
There is always next year!! 😉
#plants #growingplantsfromseeds #balconyplants #pottedplants #dyeplants #flowers #grownfromseed #dyegarden #harvestingflowers #dyeflowers #linen #ecoprinting #ecoprintingonfabric #sosdyeing #schoolofsweetgeorgia #dyeingwithplants #dyeing #naturallydyed #naturaldyeing #dyeingwithflowers
Downloadable Resources for this Course
Download the course workbook here to access the notes, checklists, and formulas you need to get started.
Dyeing Recordkeeping Tools
Download these PDF templates to record your dye formulas and keep analog records of the colours you have created.
- Dyeing Recordkeeping Template – Full Page Notes (PDF)
- Dyeing Recordkeeping Template – Business Card Size (PDF)
Sources & Suppliers
Course Content
About Instructor
Course Includes
- 48 Lessons
- Course Certificate
