Thinking Through Color: Natural Dyes on Wool
4 days • November 5 – 8, 2026
10 am – 4 pm, daily
Pricing Options:
$735 non-member
$661.50 member discount
$655 early bird; early bird deadline September 1, 2026
Payment plans and scholarships available. For questions, reach out to Margaret Lindahl: mlindahl@textilecentermn.org
Experience the infinite world of natural dyes and color theory in this process-based, exploratory workshop with Guest Teaching Artist Lesley Darling (she/her). Expand how you work with color in any media you practice. Learn foundations of color theory and optical blending, and how to apply these concepts to natural pigment dyeing on protein-based fibers. Blend color samples of roving, locks, and fibers with hand cards to spin or felt based on your interests. Make samples of blending naturally colored wool with osage, madder, and other natural dye extracts to see the effects of using a variety of fleece colors. Experiment with different types of fiber including multiple wools and silks to see how luster modifies shade. Participants will be working primarily with wool fibers, but concepts can be applied across diverse art practices. Lesley will discuss how to make adaptations to other areas of art and making.
All levels welcome. Perfect for spinners, felters, weavers, and creatives of all kinds. Beginners will receive basic instruction in carding, hand spinning, and/or wet felt swatching to work with samples. No previous experience is necessary. Bring your own ideas and experiences to the table and workshop them with the group. Participants will have ample time to work on individual projects during class.
$90 materials fee, payable to the instructor directly at the start of the workshop, includes all natural dyes, mordants, and modifiers; wool roving, fleece, and additional fibers to use during class including local alpaca, angora, wool types, and silk; silk scarf and/or other textiles to dye (as a cute example alongside fiber); and handouts.
**See supply list of additional items to bring to class**
Click here to download supply list.
Instructor Bio:
Lesley Darling’s passion for fiber and folk life has led her back in time and across the globe: from turning tree sap into printed dyes in India; learning a dying language from elders in Sweden while weaving; to incorporating traditional beading with contemporary pageantry. Lesley focuses on the importance of traditional community structures in textile and craft, including use of local resources, skill specialization and sharing, and the sense of place we achieve through our material culture.
Her practice includes an artistic examination of material culture and shared identities. When art is for both ornamentation and survival, function is as equal a necessity as beauty. Through studying specific techniques and regionalisms, material quality, methods of spinning fiber, natural dyes, and embellishment, Lesley finds peace in “traditional ways,” demonstrating that humans have much more in common with each other than we think. She firmly believes that her art should leave no waste or footprint behind, working exclusively with natural, biodegradable, and non-plastic media.
Specializing in land-based and locally rooted practices, she teaches workshops for beginners and advanced students with humor while sparking their curiosity for fiber and folk culture. Based in Nebraska, Lesley is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She is a grower, a traveller, and an activist; a Fulbright awardee, a volunteer, mentor, and more.
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.
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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 mlindahl@textilecentermn.org.
Click here for full withdrawal and cancellation policy. Click here for directions and parking.