A colourful walk – mini residency in natural sustainable dyeing

One of my most joyful moment is to share my skills as a natural dyers with less experienced artisans or artists who want to understand and learn to use nature to create colour.

I work from first principal cultivating dye plants, forageing them and swapping them with other dyers to be able to create a full colour pallet. Over the past 10 years I have been learning from masters and from practitioners to be able to create the perfect colour green. That involves understanding mordants and fibers and working out the balance between the blues (woad or indigo) and the yellows (some of which are the wrong yellow for a nice green if that can exist) .

It is my pleasure to offer this year the opportunity to book yourself in a two (or more) days of mini residency at our mutually agreed time to create a shade card of yellows, blues and greens from my local plants. We can add off course some reds from added roots or bugs and go for a full rainbow but it might take longer than two days for this.

Over two days you will:

  • Learn about fibres
  • Learn about cleaning and mordanting
  • Understand dyes and tannins
  • Select plants and learn to extract for best cover, if the weather allows we will take a local walk to point out local plants that can be used.
  • Dye both cellulose and silk samples.
  • Neutralise and finish your fabric.
  • learn to record your results

Finally go away with a selection of colours and robust knowledge about natural sustainable dyeing in your own location.

If you would like more information about price and dates please email me at bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com mentioning “A colourful walk mini residency”

Please note… the residency takes place in my studio at an agreed date/time and runs from 10am to 5pm unless otherwise agreed. We take a break for lunch, I supply tea and coffee but not lunch.

Please note… Unfortunately my studio access involves unfriendly stairs it is not suitable if you have access issues. If you do so I can help finding an alternative venue.

Please note… Natural dyes is a dirty business and involves a lot of standing up make sure you have confortable shoes and a little old jumper with you, dyes can stain your clothes.

Please note… I only work with the material I supply but if you want to test your own write in before so we can arrange it.

Please note… I do not offer residential spaces but I can suggest local small hotels and bnb that are very friendly. My studio is based in the West end of Glasgow and is very accessible by public transport. There is parking available (pay and display or free on week end days).

Please note… I can accomodate two or three dyers at the same time.

I look forward to hear from you.

Betty

Feeling Blue 2025 – Save the Date

An exhibition of natural and colours related to “The Indigo Plot” the natural dye garden of textile artist Elisabeth Viguie Culshaw in the grounds of the Glasgow Botanical garden is coming back to Glasgow.

Please save the date.

Dates of the exhibition 20/21st of Septembre from 11 to 4pm, this exhibition is FOC.

Further details will follow but for your inspiration some photos from the 2024 event.

If you would like to take part, send work, give a talk or a demonstration of your fibre art contact me on bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com. Please note all taking part are volunteers and there is no budget for expenses.

From Seeds to Blue 2025, home growing Japanese Indigo and Woad

MOST OF THIS WORKSHOP IN ON ZOOM LIVE AND IT WILL BE RECORDED AND SHARED FOR REPLAY. THE CATCH UP SESSIONS ONLY FOR A FEW DAYS BUT THE LEARNING BITS WILL BE SHARE FOR 1 YEAR. THEY ARE FOR THE USE OF THE PARTICIPANT ONLY NOT FOR SHARING AROUND. PLEASE REMEMBER ANY SELF EMPLOYED ARTIST NEEDS YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

From seeds to blue

FROM SEEDS TO BLUE – REGISTER HERE TO GROW JAPANESE INDIGO AND WOAD WITH ME

A course about growing JI and Woad in your own growing space and learn to both extract and use the colours

£120.00

PLEASE NOTE WITH EVERY BOOKINGS FROM MAINLAND UK YOU WILL RECEIVE A PACKET OF JAPANESE INDIGO SEEDS AND SOME WOAD SEEDS.

A FTER BOOKING YOUR SPACE YOU WILL NEED TO EMAIL ME YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS ON bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com You will be able to order more seeds from my seed suppliers based in the UK if you wish to grow more plants, I am not in position to supply you with additional seeds.

I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DESPATCH OVERSEAS BUT I CAN GIVE GUIDANCE FOR SEEDS ORDER.

I AM BASED IN SCOTLAND AND I WILL FOLLOW THE GROWING SEASON THERE. IT IS VERY SUITED TO NORTH OF ENGLAND OR WALES CLIMATE. YOU ARE WELCOME TO JOIN ME IF YOU ARE LOCATED ELSEWHERE BUT IT IS POSSIBLE OUR SEASONS OF GROWTH DONT COINCIDE EXACTLY.

I F YOU LIVE OVERSEAS AFTER YOU HAVE BOOKED YOU CAN EMAIL ME FOR INFORMATION ABOUT SOURCING SEEDS, I WILL ENDEAVOUR TO HELP TOWARDS SOURCING JAPANESE INDIGO SEEDS. WOAD IS NOT AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE NOR ITS GROWTH ALLOWED BUT I WILL DO MY BEST TO HELP.

FROM APRIL TIL THE END OF JUNE WE WILL HAVE MONTHLY ZOOM CATCH UP ABOUT OUR GROWING. END OF JULY AND END OF AUGUST WE WILL HAVE TWO ONLINE EVENTS/WORKSHOPS ABOUT GETTING AND USING BLUE FROM OUR PLANTS.

ALL THROUGH THE EVENT WE WILL BE ABLE TO EXCHANGE ON A FACEBOOK PAGE. THIS IS OPTIONAL BUT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GIVE PERSONAL ADVISE BY EMAIL/MESSAGING. ALL THE GROWING ADVICE WILL BE DONE IN THE ZOOM SESSIONS OR IN THE FB PAGE. YOU ARE VERY WELCOME TO JOIN THE GROUP AND PASS ON FB EXCHANGES BUT THERE WILL BE NO ALTERNATIVE OFFERED.

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Elisabeth is a natural dye artist, based in Glasgow, Scotland. She grows and teaches how to dye with Indigo and Woad. She opened “The Indigo plot” a natural dye garden in the grounds of the Glasgow Botanical garden in 2021. From there she runs a sustainable dye program, educating the public to make the connection between plant and colour.

I n 2021 she launched her program of “home growers” for wannabe dyers at home, sending them seeds for the blue dye and liaising with them during the growth season to help them trouble shooting. For that she uses regular zoom sessions. For those interested to go the extra mile she shares extractions and direct fresh leaves techniques via instructions and video material. All material is available for one further season.

To take part you will need some ground space or large planter pots, access to water. If you don’t have a garden you can grow in tubs. In time a list of what you need will be sent out. There will be regular contacts from April onwards.

W e will use zoom online live to connect, Elisabeth will set up meetings during which catch up and share experience. She regularly will send notes and questionnaires.

E lisabeth will share information prior to planting and share web based write related to her own dye garden on the project fb page and via blog posts. You will be encouraged to join the FB group and post your own progress.

When the crop is ready you will be invited to learn how to use fresh leaves indigo to create colour on your fibre and how to extract an Indigo vat via a zoom online live session.

You will receive guidance to grow, harvest your plants by written instructions and live recorded zoom catch up and you will be given instructions about using Fresh leaves Japanese/ Woad Indigo to create colour. (iced and salt methods)

We will make a Woad vat direct from pigment, We will extract pigment for making some watercolour, We will extrat Indigo pigment for making paste. We will learn to vat this and also keep it. We will learn to vat the iced extraction and other methods.

PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL HELP YOU GROW AND BOTH EXTRACT AND USE COLOUR BUT THE RESULT REALLY IS EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT… THERE IS NOTHING MYSTICAL OR MAGIC IN GROWING INDIGO IT TAKES A LOT OF EFFORT AND DEDICATION … YOUR PLANT IS THE MASTER AND WHEN IT IS READY YOU HAVE TO BE AVAILABLE. BE READY TO HAVE A WATERING SYSTEM IN PLACE FOR THE SUMMER IF YOU WANT TO HAVE SUCCESS. ANY PAST FAILURES ARE USUALLY LINKED TO LACK OF COMITMENT FOR WHATEVER REASON.

During the session I will be sharing opportunities to other vats making like Fructose, Ferrous and Hydro… In 2025 I will introduce a fermentation vat from a recipe i am studying when visiting South East Asia.I will be sharing vat making from dry leaves Japanese Indigo.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE GROWING TO LEARN AND EXPERIMENT. YOU WILL NOT HAVE ENOUGH COLOUR TO SET UP A FACTORY DYEING PLACE… Your plants will help you creating samples of dyed fabric.

Y ou dont need any perticular experience to take part or a large garden as Indigo can be grown in pots small quantities. You have to remember though that you will need to water regularly during the summer, make sure you have back up when you will be away…

F or any questions please come back to bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com

This class will be available in 2025 and participants from that year will quality for an authomatic follow in 2026 at no extra costs.

Natural dyes studio boxes are now SOLD OUT !

I am afraid that the Natural dyes studio boxes are now sold out for 2024 but they will be back at some point. Keep an eye on this page.

Natural dyes from plants you grow are so precious and growing the plants I use for my experiments make me feel like not wasting any of the colour whasoever. To study each of my project I use only the best possible material, mainly silk and linen and the most tested process when in my studio but also I study from other practitioners and use their mordanting and processes to achieve their colour wheels.

In any case I end up with section of dyed fibre I cant use and it pains me to waste it.. for that reason, every winter I bundle the unwanted fibre and offers it in a studio pack that creative individuals can use to create art pieces… I dont tend to build up a stash that would not be useful and waste away… I share the glorious colours and prints with whoever wants to use naturally dyed snippets of linen and silk.

For this offer I have 20 packs of hand dyed with natural dyes material available for this winter. I will ship them wherever they are in the world. In each I have added:

  • one roll of 30 x 30 cm (aprx) of white linen ready to be used. It has been scoured but not mordanted. It is perfect for stitching or dyeing.
  • 10 pieces of linen or silk pieces coloured with natural dyes I grew (the Indigo plot) or foraged (Glasgow studio or trip to Oaxaca). The pieces are washed and finished and will hold the colour (please don’t expose in the sunlight for any period of time). Not two packs are identical as those are remnant of my dye projects. Two of those pieces are 15 x 20 cm, the other 8 are smaller sizes.
  • 2 small bundles of natural dyed silk/cotton embroidery thread (blue and green).
  • A small pinch of tiny colourful cut samples left over of my sample cards.

All content are of high quality, colourfast, washed and neutralised and made sustainably.

Those will be posted out on the 20th of November (unless discussed privately). They will include a card from my studio. They will be despatched to the address your paypal is set up for. If you would like to buy them as a gift and posted to a different address please contact me bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com to discuss.

All will be posted in the mainland UK by Royal Mail first class. overseas by tracked but not signed for UK post carriage. If you would like to arrange insurance please contact me.

If you would like to arrange for an Ecoprint to be added to the box email me bettysbeautifullife@gmail.com to discuss and get a quotation.

There will be no returns, I can not take responsability if there is an issue with your local post as far as delay is concerned.

Thank you for helping me making sure the running of my studio stays sustainable.