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Class Structure
Weekly units structured with spiritual, environmental and practical components. Emphasis on devotional dye blends and sacred fabrics.
Creative, intuitive exploration to cultivate self-discovery.
Materials released in bi-weekly intervals. We recommend you plan for two weeks per unit, but you can adjust the pacing as needed for a self-paced course. -
Multi-Dimensional Learning!
• Beautiful video lectures and guided demonstrations
• PDF handouts
• Dye tips and recipes
• Assignments for home practice
• Inspiring interviews
• Swami satsangs on nature
• Guided meditations, prayers and plant contemplations
• Immersion in technical aspects and devotion -
Instructor and Community Discussions
Enjoy on-demand video of Discussion Sessions with the instructor:
• Session #1: Attuning to Art & Creativity with Plant Dyeing
• Session #2: Fostering Wellness with Medicial Textiles
Technical and educational support via email with the instructional team.
Questions? E-mail us!
[email protected]
Art of Natural Plant Dyeing
Course Overview
- Orientation & Unit 1: Getting Started with the Art of Natural Plant Dyeing
- Unit 2: Tumeric, Green Tea & Modifying Color
- Unit 3: Sacred Herbal Blends
- Unit 4: Roses, Flowers & the Goddess Blend
- Unit 5: Creative Techniques & Explorations
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On-demand video of Live Session #1:
Attuning to Art & Creativity -
On-demand video of Live Session #2:
Fostering Wellness with Medicinal Textiles
No prior experience needed.
Everyone is welcome. Both beginners and those with a background in gardening, ecology, handicrafts, DIY, the arts or textiles will benefit.
Course Syllabus
Introduction to the Art of Natural Plant Dyeing
1 Opening Prayer
2 What is Ayurvastra?
3 Meet the Teacher
Reflections on Ayurvastra
Contemplation
Amma's Prayer
Welcome Letter & Materials Needed
Important Information & Support Emails
1 Tools & Safety
1 Overview to the Art of Natural Dyeing Course
2 Sneak Peak - Turmeric (Unit 2)
3 Sneak Peak - Herbal Dyes (Unit 3)
4 Sneak Peak - Madder Root & Love (Unit 4)
1 Sacred Traditions - Satsang with Swamini Ambikamrita Prana
2 Being Mother's Child - Guided Meditation
3 Introduction to Fabrics - Protein Fibers (Silk & Wool) and Cellulose Fibers (Cotton)
Getting Fabrics in the US
1 Introduction to Scouring (Washing Fabric Fibers Before Dyeing)
Scouring Handout
2 Introduction to Mordanting (Using Salts to Bind a Fabric to a Dye)
Mordanting - Intro Handout
1 Intro to Scouring Process
2 Weighing the Fabric
3 Scouring the Fabric
4 Removing the Fabric
5 Rinsing & Hanging
Scouring Handout
1 Weighing Silk
2 Mordanting Silk
3 Weighing Wool
4 Mordanting Wool
Mordanting Instructions - Wool, Cotton & Silk
General Dye Instructions & Tips
Common Dye Plants & Colors
Water and Energy Saving Tips
1 Guided Meditation: Embracing Mother Nature
2 Satsang with Swamini Niranjanamrita Prana
Karma Yoga Prayer
1 Intro to Turmeric & Pomegranate
Turmeric & Pomogranate Handout
2 Grinding Turmeric
Turmeric Preparation Handout
3 Intro to Turmeric Dyeing
4 Turmeric Dye Bath
5 Dyeing in Turmeric & Pomegranate
6 Aloe Explainer & Prepping Rinse
7 Rinsing Fabrics in Aloe
8 Finished Product & Caring for Fabric
9 Turmeric Check-In & Tumeric Ganesha
Turmeric Ganesha Handout
1 Symplocos Dye Bath
2 Comments & Stirring
3 Symplocos Finished Product & Observations
4 Rinsing & Hanging Fabric
Symplocos (Plant Mordant) Handout
1 Dyeing Cotton with Oak Gall - First Steps
2 Dyeing Cotton with Oak Gall - Next Steps
3 Homemade Iron Water
Preparing Home-Made Iron Water
4 Dipping Oak Gall Dyed Fabric in Iron. Shibori Techniques.
5 1st Shibori Rinse & Reveal
6 2nd Shibori Rinse & Reveal
1 Green Tea Bath
2 Prepping Modifiers & Results
3 Swatch Board
General Instructions
Plants for Dyeing
1 Amma's Life
2 The Old Ways
1 Intro to Herbs
Tulsi, Neem, Bamboo, Aloe Vera, Lemongrass & Henna PDF
Rudraksha PDF
Shiva Prayer PDF
2 Prepping the Blend
3 Examples of Herbal Blends
4 Straining the Blend
5 Hanging Fabric
Herbal Blend PDF
6 Directions Prayer
1 Rose Contemplation
Roses PDF
2 Prepping Rose Dye Bath
3 Eco Print Roll Prep
Bundle Dyeing and Eco Print PDF
4 Steaming Rolls & Straining Rose Water
5 Adding Fabric To Rose Water
6 Eco Print Finished Product
7 Roses Finished Product
8 Fabric Dyeing With Intention
1 Madder Root Intro
About Madder Root PDF
2 Prepping & Tending Madder Root
Madder Root Dye Preparations PDF
3 Love Blend Ingredients
4 Prepping Love Blend
5 Adding Fabric to Love Blend
6 Rinsing and Hanging
7 Contemplation
1 Intro to Flower Blends & Marigold
Cosmos and Flowers PDF
2 Prepping Dye Baths & Adding Fabric
3 Depetaling Marigolds & Adding Cosmos
Flower Dye Bath PDF
4 Color Modification
5 Taking Fabric Out of the Pots
6 Opening & Hanging Color Modified Fabric
7 Contemplation: Marigold Legend
A Note of Encouragement
1 Intro to Block Printing
2 Block Printing Part 1
3 Block Printing Part 2
Block Printing Handout
4 Block Printing Part 3
5 Contemplation on Creativity
1 Solar Dyeing
Solar Dyeing Handout
2 Solar Dyeing Result
1 Painting with Soy Milk Intro
2 Painting with Soy Milk
3 Black Tea Bath
4 Rinsing Fabrics & Observing Results
Painting with Milk and Dyeing with Tea Handout
5 Hanging Fabrics
6 Words on Milk & Tea Results
1 Impact of Natural Dyeing on Environment
2 Acknowledging the Trees
Closing Survey
Before You go!
3 Closing - Our Remembrances
Closing Prayers for World Peace
Attuning to Art and Creativity (June 5, 2022 Live Session Replay)
Fostering Wellness with Medicinal Textiles (July 16, 2022 Live Session Replay)
Art of Natural Plant Dyeing - All Handouts as a Single PDF
Basic Color Wheel - Common Dye Plants & Colors
Meet Your Instructor
Padma, Amritapuri
Aum Namah Shivaya,
Dear friends,
With a heart full of gratitude, I would like to share my journey into natural dyeing with you. I have been doing seva (selfless service) in the textile department in Amritapuri since 2012. Natural dyeing came to me and opened up a world of beauty and wonder. Growing our own plants helped me deepen my connection with the land and return to my ancient roots and a love for the earth. Rejoining with this cycle of life—from seeding, to tending, to harvesting, to dyeing, to stitching and finally, to wearing—reminds us how we once lived and can live again.
Dyeing with plants is an incredible art form. It’s a way to put forth our love and efforts to restore harmony back to the earth. We see that any small effort made to help to reduce the effects of pollution in the world today can go a long way. This is a devotional, creative approach to natural dyeing, with the hope of using it as a sadhana to deepen our bond to the divine.
With love,
Padma
Dear friends,
With a heart full of gratitude, I would like to share my journey into natural dyeing with you. I have been doing seva (selfless service) in the textile department in Amritapuri since 2012. Natural dyeing came to me and opened up a world of beauty and wonder. Growing our own plants helped me deepen my connection with the land and return to my ancient roots and a love for the earth. Rejoining with this cycle of life—from seeding, to tending, to harvesting, to dyeing, to stitching and finally, to wearing—reminds us how we once lived and can live again.
Dyeing with plants is an incredible art form. It’s a way to put forth our love and efforts to restore harmony back to the earth. We see that any small effort made to help to reduce the effects of pollution in the world today can go a long way. This is a devotional, creative approach to natural dyeing, with the hope of using it as a sadhana to deepen our bond to the divine.
With love,
Padma
