Topic outline

  • Pre-course task

    Not available unless: You belong to Opetusryhmä (SISU)

    Please select one of the references listed below, or any book on natural dyeing in your native language, and skim through its contents.

    1) Write a half-to-one-page (1/2-page to 1/1 page) learning diary introducing yourself and replying to these questions:

    • What is your study discipline and personal perspective and interest towards natural dyes?
    • Which ways to use natural dyes do you know? 
    • What are the natural dye traditions in your home country? Which materials are used and dyed?  Which natural dyes are used?

    Save your file as pdf and name it firstname.lastname.LC23.pdf, and upload below.

    2) For your portfolio, you need

    • about 50 g of white wool yarn OR 20 cm of a breadth of fabric or felt in wool, and 
    • about 10 cm (x 140 cm) of undyed cotton (or linen) fabric (a used, white bedsheet, or other used, white cloth works well).  
    If you like, you can source also some
    • white silk
    • natural grey wool yarn
    • white cotton yarn
    • undyed wool fabric or felt
    • white piece(s) of clothing (top, scarf, or similar small accessory) in any natural fibre or their mixture.

    References (select ONE for the pre-course task, or some other book or article on natural dyes and dyeing, perhaps one in your local language):

    Boutrup, J., & Ellis, C. (2018). The art and science of natural dyes: principles, experiments, and results. Schiffer Publishing, Limited.
    Cardon, D. (2007). Natural dyes. Sources, tradition, technology and science, Archetype publications. 268.
    Dean, J. (2018). Wild colour. How to make & use natural dyes, Mitchell and Beazley.
    Duerr, S. (2020). Natural palettes: inspiration from plant-based color. (PDF available through Aalto Primo)
    Ferreira, E. S., Hulme, A. N., McNab, H., & Quye, A. (2004). The natural constituents of historical textile dyes. Chemical Society Reviews, 33(6), 329-336.
    Kirby, J., van Bommel, M. R., Verhecken, A., Spring, M., Vanden Berghe, I., Stege, H., & Richter, M. (2014). Natural colorants for dyeing and lake pigments: practical recipes and their historical sources. Archetype Publications Ltd in association with CHARISMA.
    Räisänen, R., Primetta, A., & Niinimäki, K. (2016). Dyes from Nature. Archetype publications.
    Räisänen, R., Primetta, A., & Niinimäki, K. (2015). Luonnonväriaineet. (PDF ladattavissa https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/316980)
    Mantua-Kommonen, K., & Vasko, A. (2021). Padoista puikoille. Värjää ja neulo luonnonväreillä. Sitruuna-kustannus. 200 s.