Guðrún Bjarnadóttir
2 days • October 11 + 12, 2025
10 am – 4 pm, daily
Pricing
Early-bird (special rate through August 15, 2025): $405
Nonmembers: $475
Members: $427.50
Payment plans and scholarships available. For questions, reach out to Cristin McKnight Sethi: cmcknightsethi@textilecentermn.org.
Learn the basics of plant dyeing with an emphasis on Icelandic coloring tradition and methods. Explore pigment extraction and coloring processes from beginning to end. Learn about mordanting and modifying the colors, alongside dye chemistry and history. In addition to working with traditional Icelandic plants and other plants local to Minnesota, participants in the workshop will explore natural indigo. Learn about the rich and complex history of blue dyes dating back more than 6000 years and the color’s entanglement with kings, Vikings, the death penalty, global trade, slavery, and war. Experience the joy of working in collaboration with other participants in the class to deepen your understanding of natural dyeing and experience the joy of creating a rainbow of colors from materials found in nature.
$20 materials fee, payable to the instructor at the start of the workshop.
**See supply list of items to bring to class**
Click here to download supply list.
Instructor Bio:
Guðrún Bjarnadóttir (she/her) is an herbalist, dyer, and fiber artist with a degree in nature science. She is dedicated to preserving traditional methods of dyeing yarn, according to old traditions with plants and herbs, but with the support of modern technology, such as electricity. Guðrún started dyeing when she wrote her MS thesis on herbs and their uses in Iceland and has dedicated herself to working with plant dyeing since that time. Guðrún was brought up in a family with a strong handicraft tradition and learned from both her mother (a handicraft teacher) and her grandmother (an herbalist). Guðrún runs the herbal dyeing workshop Hespuhúsið by Selfoss in Iceland, where visitors have the opportunity to learn about old dyeing tradition of the region.
Info for out-of-town guests:
For our out of town guests, nearby accommodations are available with our partner hotel, Hampton Inn and Suites, University Ave. in Minneapolis. For the special Textile Center rate and more info, visit our website here: textilecentermn.org/visit
Review our COVID-19 Safety Protocols at Textile Center here.
Want to become a member and receive the member price when you register? Click HERE to check out our membership levels, add a membership to the cart, and save 10% on many of our classes plus other benefits, including supporting a great organization!
Withdrawal Policy
If your notice of withdrawal is received by the early bird deadline for this workshop, you will receive a 50% refund of your workshop fee. Due to the scheduling nature of these classes and arrangements for instructors, no refunds are available after that. We will be happy to provide you with a receipt for your donation to Textile Center for any forfeited tuition. Please make this request in writing to cmcknightsethi@textilecentermn.org.
Click here for full withdrawal and cancellation policy. Click here for directions and parking.