Botanical Printing on Fabric

Be open to the collaboration with plants and their distinctive traits. We will add some colour using traditional natural dyes.

Botanical printing is a direct contact process using plant matter. This is a class about technique (we are not producing items for sale).

Once good technique is mastered you may continue at home to print on clothing and larger pieces .

Our pieces will be suitable to make into cushions, table runners, bags and many other things. We will dye some threads so you may stitch into your work later.

There will also be an opportunity to try printing on paper.

Please bring the following on your first day of class:

Please don’t bring synthetic fabrics - they don’t take natural dyes.

• 1 metre wool (woven or jersey)

• 1-2 metres linen

• 2-3 metres cotton

• 1-2 metres silk (your choice - could be dupion or charmeuse or georgette or wild silk or other)

• Blanket material 3 metres minimum

• Pegs

• 3 buckets

• 2 pairs washing up gloves

• Painters plastic drop sheet

• Roll of 38cm wide Aldi Baking Paper

• Watercolour paper 150gsm or heavier (smooth is best) - Some paper will be provided, if you would like to do more then please bring more

• Needle

• Thread

• Waterproof marker

• String or 2-3 t shirts to cut into string

• Notebook

• Fabric scissors

• Secateurs or rough scissors for plant

• Pen

• Camera to record layouts

• 1 packet large heavy duty plastic garbage bags

• 4 wooden dowels 45cm or less - old wooden broomsticks are good

• Foliage from your garden, neighbours, flower market and the bush
  

This class has an extra materials cost of $50, which is payable directly to the tutor.

Once you book your ticket, the tutor will be in touch to arrange payment.

Cost includes:

• Natural dyes, tannins, alum and other additives

• Gas cylinders

• Dyeing equipment

• Two panels of mordanted linen/cotton for use on the first day

• Two pieces of watercolour paper, prepared for dyeing

• Some natural fibre threads to dye for stitching/embroidery in your work later

No experience required.

Please note that you will be working with hot liquids.

NOTE: THIS IS A PLAN ONLY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Day One

• Introduction to natural dyes - discussion of samples

• Preparation of fabrics for tomorrow’s printing

• Essential knowledge before we begin

• Creating sample prints using fabrics I have already prepared

• Iron/tannin reaction, health and safety issues

• Foraging and environmental issues

• Recording information

Day Two

• Finishing fabric prep from yesterday

• Looking at yesterday’s samples to understand plant properties

• Bundling

• Printing

• Making a weld dyepot

• Tannin blankets

Day Three

• More printing - different layout techniques

• Demonstration of printing a garment

• Making a cochineal dye pot

• Under/overdyeing

• Preparing and printing paper

Day Four

• Variations on intensity - more printing

Day Five

• Print print print

• Discussion on finishing/fabric care

• Analysing everyone’s work

• Final wrap

• Examination and evaluation