WOODSTOCK, Vt. — Learn to create vibrant, eco-friendly dyes using plants from your garden in the next Billings Backyard Workshop: Botanical Fiber Dyeing. Local Fiber Artist Rachel Kahn will lead this engaging, hands-on workshop on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a 30-minute Q&A.
Participants will have the unique opportunity to use yarn spun from the wool of Billings Farm’s Southdown Sheep while exploring the fascinating process of botanical dyeing. The workshop will cover growing, harvesting, and extracting color from plants, and provide practical skills for future botanical dyeing projects. The session includes a Q&A with the Billings Farm Lead Gardener. Each participant will leave with beautifully dyed mini skeins of yarn.
Billings Backyard is a series of workshops designed to teach sustainable living skills to adult participants and is underwritten by a generous grant from the SpringRiver Private Foundation Trust. Each workshop includes hands-on demonstrations and concrete steps for incorporating these skills into everyday life. The session is $20/person, $15/Billings Farm member, and includes materials. Registration and course details are at billingsfarm.org/billings-backyard.
Rachel Kahn is a lifelong knitter with extensive experience in knitting, basic spinning, felting, sewing, and, for the past nine years, natural and botanical dyeing techniques. She delights in sharing her knowledge and skills, emphasizing the creativity and importance of homesteading practices. Kahn’s workshops encourage participants to engage with the natural world through growing, foraging, and exploring, making the process of natural dyeing a continuously exciting journey.
