Join us for a three-day exploration of natural dyeing, where you’ll gain hands-on experience with traditional techniques and a wide range of natural color sources. Each session builds on the last, guiding you through the process of preparing fibers, working with different dyes, and combining colors to create a rich palette.
Day 1 – Mordanting and Fiber Preparation
Begin with the foundations of natural dyeing by learning about mordants and their essential role in helping fibers absorb and retain color. You’ll prepare wool fibers using commonly used mordants such as alum and practice proper fiber preparation techniques to ensure vibrant, lasting results.
Day 2 – Cochineal, Pericón, and Walnut Leaves
Discover the beauty of red, yellow, and brown dyes. Explore cochineal (an insect-based dye) alongside pericón and walnut leaves (plant-based sources). You’ll experiment with dye extraction methods, test the effects of pH, and apply dyes to pre-mordanted fibers to see firsthand how mordants and conditions influence final colors.
Day 3 – Marigold, Goldenrod, and Indigo
Expand your color range with marigold, goldenrod, and brazilwood for warm, golden tones, and dive into indigo for brilliant blues. Learn how to layer and combine dyes, improve colorfastness, and experiment with both traditional and modern approaches to natural dyeing.
By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills and confidence to continue exploring the natural dye process on your own, with a deeper understanding of both technique and artistry.
Your instructor, Demetrio Bautista Lazo’s work explores the dialogue between color, material, and memory. Through natural dyeing, he studies how plants, insects, and minerals reveal the intimate relationship between nature and color. Each pigment carries its own story—shaped by the land it comes from, by time, and by the hands that prepare it.
For Demetrio, the process of dyeing is almost like cooking with the heart: you just know the recipe. It relies on intuition as much as on technique, on listening to the materials and understanding how they respond. He finds meaning in this slow, deliberate rhythm—in the small transformations that occur between water, heat, and fiber.
Natural dyeing allows Demetrio to connect with ancestral knowledge while continuing to experiment and reimagine its possibilities. Through color, he seeks to express continuity—how tradition evolves yet remains alive in every thread. To learn more about him check out his website here.
$380 - $450
Note: You will save money by becoming an SEFAA Member before registering for the class. You can do so here.
Additional Supply Fee: None. The $30 supply fee is included in the class cost, which covers all materials (Alum, Cream of tartar, Oxalic acid, Thiourea Dioxide, Limestone, Baking soda, Citric acid, Cochineal, and Indigo), as well as supplies used for dyeing.
Scholarship Available: No
Level: Open to all levels.
Minimum Number of Students: 8
Maximum Number of Students: 18
Required Supplies: Please bring protein-based fibers (i.e., wool, cashmere, goat hair, angora rabbit hair, and silk) to dye in class. Here is what is recommended by Demetrio to bring with you to class:
- 4 skeins of white wool
- 4 skeins of natural grey wool
- 4 skeins of natural dark grey wool
Class Schedule: The class will be held from Tuesday, October 14, through Thursday, October 16, 2025.
- Tuesday, October 14 from 10 am - 3 pm
- Wednesday, October 15, from 10 am- 6 pm
- Thursday, October 16 from 10 am- 6 pm
There will be a short ½-hr break for meals each day, so we encourage you to bring your lunch. A small refrigerator and microwave are available for your use.