-Ancient Colors- natural dyes, pigments and paints
This two day workshop is for anyone with a keen interest in traditional methods and natural materials. No experience is needed just bring your curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn alongside like-minded people.
Over two days, we will have a full introduction to natural dyeing and lake pigment making. Beginning with plant identification and ethical gathering, we’ll extract colour from the landscape, dye rare breed wool, and transform dye baths into solid pigments and handmade paint.
You’ll gain practical knowledge of:
- Identifying and responsibly harvesting dye plants
- Preparing fibres and understanding mordants
- Managing dye baths for lasting, stable colour
- Making lake pigments from plant dyes
- Grinding and binding pigments into usable paint
Alongside the dye process, you’ll carve and make your own wooden lucette or braiding wheel to take home — a practical tool for cordage and fibre work.
The setting matters. The workshop takes place at To The Root, surrounded by the ancient woodland of Witherslack. Working with colour while immersed in the landscape it comes from brings a different kind of understanding
Fay brings immense expertise and contagious enthusiasm for dyeing and pigment processes, always experimenting and refining her knowledge. Ffion contributes 19 years of wilderness craft and traditional living skills, helping hold the wider context of working with land, fibre and hand tools as the colourful chaos unfolds.
Our work matters because it carries deep-rooted knowledge: practical skills that reconnect us to wild materials, to place, and to others. Our aim is to re ignite this forgotten craft and to inspire others to experiment with wild colours thus in turn passing it on.
Cost Includes:
- All materials
- A selection of rare breed yarns
- Full tuition
- Hand carved tools
- Pigments
You’ll leave with:
- A carved lucette or braiding wheel
- Six skeins of rare breed dyed yarns
- Lake pigment samples
- Handmade paint to continue processing
- Optional handmade paint brush
All teas, coffee, cordials and biscuits are provided to keep you going throughout the day.
Please email Fay if you have any questions about this workshop:
Minimum age is 16 and must be accompanied by an adult.
Course instructor:
Fay Jones - Woodland Habaerdasher