Natural Dye Workshop with ATW

This hands-on workshop invites artists and design professionals to explore the possibilities of botanical dyeing.

The Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW)’s Dye Lab is where colour happens. All the yarn used in ATW tapestries and textiles is dyed onsite. This workshop provides access to the lab.

Participants learn to identify and use a variety of local plants to create their own palette of hand-dyed wool yarns in this three-hour session with ATW botanical dye specialist Heather Thomas. Participants experiment with dye extraction, resist techniques, mineral mordants and overdyeing, and leave with a distinctive collection of samples and custom-dyed yarns — along with the knowledge to continue working with natural colour in their own practice.

ATW is an international leader in contemporary tapestry, renowned for nearly five decades of collaborative, handwoven works with living artists. Its South Melbourne studio, dye lab and gallery spaces are a vibrant hub for artistic innovation, education and public engagement.