2 days, a week apart. Maximum 6 participants.
Mordant printing works backwards from what you'd expect. Instead of printing with colour, you print with a mordant paste that you can see faintly on fabric. Mordant is the bridge between fabric and natural dyes, and the most important step for you to get rich, colourfast natural dyed fabric.
This is actually one of the oldest and cleverest tricks in textile printing, and the magic lies in day two where your printed fabric hits the dye pot, the satisfaction and watching it happen never gets old.
Over two sessions you'll mix your own mordant paste, block print on fabric and come back a week later to fix, dye and finish it.
Mixing your mordant paste How the paste is made and getting the right consistency for block printing.
Block printing your pattern Choosing your blocks, planning a repeat pattern and printing onto a cotton squares.
Hanging to dry Your printed pieces hung up to dry and allow the mordant to cure.
Fixing the mordant The mordant printed must be fixed properly before dyeing.
Preparing the dye baths Learn what dyes work with this technique, get ratios and prepare different dyebaths.
Dyeing and the reveal Dye your block printed fabric in the prepared baths, dye duration and finishing steps.
You'll be dyeing alongside me in my private studio.
This is my daily workspace, not a rented venue set up for the occasion. Opening it up means you see how a working textile studio actually runs.
| Duration | 4 hours each day (one week apart) | |
| Price | $380 per person | |
| Group size | Min. 4, max. 6 participants | |
| Location |
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| Dates |
Intake 1: 19 & 25 Sep | starts at 10am Intake 2: 31 Oct & 7 Nov | starts at 10am |
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| Level | Beginner-friendly, basic knowledge in natural dyeing helps | |
| You take home | Your own block printed natural dyed scarf |
Not included: Please have a heavy breakfast as we are working from 10am-2pm. You are welcomed to bring a snack as the workshop is held at a leisurely pace with tea served.
You don't need experience in either printing or dyeing. You do need to make both dates.
You need to attend both sessions. Day 2 only works on the cloth you printed on Day 1, it is not possible to catch up after a missed first session.
Wear something you don't mind marking on both days. Aprons are provided.
Class size is capped at 6 so everyone gets proper guidance at the printing table and the dye pot.
Do I need to have done your other block printing workshop first? Not at all. They stand alone. The 3-hour Indian Wood Block Printing workshop is about printing with pigment fabric paint and gives you more colour options; this one is about mordant printing and natural dye.
Why can't this be done in one day? The mordant needs at least 48 hours to dry and cure before dyeing. Rushing the process results in blur prints and a weak dye-fabric bond. Waiting is one of the essential steps.
What if I can't make day two? Day two is essential, your fabric is only half-made without it. If something comes up, get in touch and we'll try to fit you into the next intake's second session, though we can't always promise it.
Will the colour fade? Mordanted areas stays colourfast while the background fades away with each wear and wash. We will cover care instructions during the workshop.
Full refund up to 14 days before day one. 50% between 14 and 7 days. No refund within 7 days, but you're welcome to transfer your place to someone else.
A note on transaction fees. Card and payment processing fees (around 3.5%, so roughly $13 on a $380 workshop) are charged to us when you book and aren't returned when a refund is processed. If you choose to cancel, that fee is deducted from whatever refund is due.
This doesn't apply if we're the ones cancelling. If the workshop doesn't reach minimum numbers, you get the full amount back, fees included.
Questions before you book? Email hello@withautumn.com or DM @withautumn.sg
