Discover natural colour and botanical storytelling on silk.
Join us for a hands-on workshop facilitated by guest practitioner, Paaras Abbas, a Sustainable Textile Artist, Anthropologist and Workshop Tutor, as we delve into the art of eco printing and natural dyeing on silk scarves.
Together, we’ll uncover how flowers, leaves, and roots can imprint their memory in colour and form upon silk — creating patterns that carry the stories of place, season, and process.
This workshop welcomes community members, artists, designers, students, and curious makers alike — anyone drawn to slow craft, sustainable colour, and rooted creative practice. You’ll learn how to select and prepare plants (foraged, from the kitchen, or beyond), work with mordants to fix colour, and explore a range of eco printing and dyeing techniques, from shifting tones naturally to building layered and repeat patterns.
By the end of the session, you’ll take home your own botanically printed silk scarf, glowing with warm autumnal tones — along with the knowledge, recipes, and confidence to continue experimenting with natural dyes at home.
Event details:
Date & Time: Sunday19 October 2pm - 5pm
Location: FibreLab, Studio 1, 121 Monier Road, London, E3 2PS
Workshop Time-Line
Introduction (30 minutes):
We’ll begin with a warm welcome and discussion around eco printing & natural dyeing: the fundamentals of natural colour, mindful foraging, and process. You’ll learn what to expect with silk, and how plant choice, foraging or sourcing, and mordants shape colour and print.
Printing (1 hour):
Step 1: Preparing the dye vat
Step 2: Preparing your silk: dampening and laying out
Step 3: Choosing and arranging plant matter: leaves, petals, pigments
Step 4: Bundling and leaving to steam-set the colours
Creative Sharing (1hour):
We will let the scarves soak in steam and receive botanical impressions as we reflect on the process over snacks and beverages.
We will gather around a range of samples and resources, reflecting on different techniques, textiles, and traditions
Dyeing (1 hour):
Step 5: We will remove our bundles from the steam vat and carefully unravel them to reveal our printed silks
Step 6: A quick rinse in salt water to further set the colour Preparing your silk: dampening and laying out
Step 7: We will dip some or all of our silks into our dye vat to add additional shades to our unique scarves.
Along with your beautiful silk scarves, you will also take home a little guide with plant lists, dye recipes, safety tips and ideas so you can continue practicing eco printing and dyeing in your own space.
What to Bring & How to Prepare
100% pure silk scarves and natural dye materials will be provided — but if you have small leaves, petals or foliage from your garden that you’d like to try, please bring them!
Come in clothes you don’t mind potentially staining (an apron or old shirt is helpful), with closed-toe shoes.
Discover natural colour and botanical storytelling on silk.
Join us for a hands-on workshop facilitated by guest practitioner, Paaras Abbas, a Sustainable Textile Artist, Anthropologist and Workshop Tutor, as we delve into the art of eco printing and natural dyeing on silk scarves.
Together, we’ll uncover how flowers, leaves, and roots can imprint their memory in colour and form upon silk — creating patterns that carry the stories of place, season, and process.
This workshop welcomes community members, artists, designers, students, and curious makers alike — anyone drawn to slow craft, sustainable colour, and rooted creative practice. You’ll learn how to select and prepare plants (foraged, from the kitchen, or beyond), work with mordants to fix colour, and explore a range of eco printing and dyeing techniques, from shifting tones naturally to building layered and repeat patterns.
By the end of the session, you’ll take home your own botanically printed silk scarf, glowing with warm autumnal tones — along with the knowledge, recipes, and confidence to continue experimenting with natural dyes at home.
Event details:
Date & Time: Sunday19 October 2pm - 5pm
Location: FibreLab, Studio 1, 121 Monier Road, London, E3 2PS
Workshop Time-Line
Introduction (30 minutes):
We’ll begin with a warm welcome and discussion around eco printing & natural dyeing: the fundamentals of natural colour, mindful foraging, and process. You’ll learn what to expect with silk, and how plant choice, foraging or sourcing, and mordants shape colour and print.
Printing (1 hour):
Step 1: Preparing the dye vat
Step 2: Preparing your silk: dampening and laying out
Step 3: Choosing and arranging plant matter: leaves, petals, pigments
Step 4: Bundling and leaving to steam-set the colours
Creative Sharing (1hour):
We will let the scarves soak in steam and receive botanical impressions as we reflect on the process over snacks and beverages.
We will gather around a range of samples and resources, reflecting on different techniques, textiles, and traditions
Dyeing (1 hour):
Step 5: We will remove our bundles from the steam vat and carefully unravel them to reveal our printed silks
Step 6: A quick rinse in salt water to further set the colour Preparing your silk: dampening and laying out
Step 7: We will dip some or all of our silks into our dye vat to add additional shades to our unique scarves.
Along with your beautiful silk scarves, you will also take home a little guide with plant lists, dye recipes, safety tips and ideas so you can continue practicing eco printing and dyeing in your own space.
What to Bring & How to Prepare
100% pure silk scarves and natural dye materials will be provided — but if you have small leaves, petals or foliage from your garden that you’d like to try, please bring them!
Come in clothes you don’t mind potentially staining (an apron or old shirt is helpful), with closed-toe shoes.
