short answer: yes! they’re also different than synthetic dyes, require different care to maintain them over the longer term, and honestly if you just go grab any old (literally old) book of natural dye recipes off the library shelves, chances are pretty good that they are actually toxic. the way we dye now is different from how we dyed historically, from the mordants we use (no chrome here please!) to the dyes we harvest/purchase (if your brazilwood isn’t sappanwood, we’ve got a problem). also, devil’s advocate here, why exactly do you want your colour to stay the exact same for 20+ years? kathy hattori has made the analogy of natural dyes being the homemade muffin to synthetic dyes’ twinkie, and i’m inclined to agree with her. but don’t worry, we’ll chat all about that and about slow fashion sustainability in class…

i'm primarily self-taught, with opportunities to learn from others taken when i can. my practice has grown through extensive research from reliable books written by experts in the field, my own experiments, many many many hours of practice (we’re talking phd levels of time invested here), and several workshops taken over the years. i spent my earliest years learning from my then-mentor kelly ruth, and more recently was able to take workshops with aboubakar fofana, maiwa school of textiles, and cara marie piazza thanks to the opening up of online classes during the covid-19 pandemic. my immediate geographical location has very limited options for extended studies outside of self-directed teaching, although we have a growing community of dedicated natural dyers who are wonderful co-creators in local colour studies. i believe firmly in continuing to learn and grow a practice no matter how long you've been at it, and intend to continue seeking out and learning from fellow natural dyers across the world over the course of my life. lately my studies have been on my ancestral dye traditions and exploring their modern sustainable variations on the land i live now.

hell no. as you continue your own natural dyeing experiences, you'll learn more about how the various conditions inherent to natural dyes - the fact that they are sourced from living things, with uncontrollable factors like different growing conditions from harvest to harvest - make getting absolutely exact results time after time isn't feasible. it's also not where my personal interest lies, so i do not prioritize it. that being said, once you understand all those factors and how they influence your colours, you'll be able to run your own experiments to try and get visibly similar results and to tweak your dye pots accordingly.

you will never learn everything about natural dyeing from a single source, including this course. that being said, if you've already wasted time, materials, money, and energy on diy "tutorials" you found on pinterest or half-gleaned from instagram captions, i can guarantee you'll learn a lot more from this course even if you never take advantage of the extra resources in your class materials.

that's totally fine. if you're looking for a more entry-level investment, check out my natural dyeing e-bundle.

cool beans, this is not the right class for you. all the material is hosted via pre-recorded video classes (transcripts to come) and the worksheets and resources are also all hosted online.

the history of natural dyes, and how we value colour now, is deeply intertwined with colonialism. as a descendent of white settlers living on turtle island, my personal practice and its focus on my local colour palette is by necessity also rooted in active decolonization work. you can learn more about that with this resource list.

probably not. there are scattered swear words throughout your video classes and if you truly care more about that than learning the alchemy of natural dyes, this isn't the right fit for you.