Plant Dyeing Workshop Using Foraged Plants (2 days each in June, August, October, and December)

From spring to winter, various plants sprout around us each season, offering a diversity of colors and shapes in their leaves, flowers, and bark.

Japan is truly rich in nature, and how fortunate we are to live surrounded by it.

Since I started natural dyeing, my gratitude for this abundance has multiplied many times over. Every day, I am moved by how the colors inherent in each plant can bring such vibrancy to daily life.

I started natural dyeing at Itoshiro Clothes Shop around 2017. I've been experimenting with various plants around me, going through a lot of trial and error.

Including that trial and error, we will be holding natural dyeing workshops where we will share the techniques and knowledge of dyeing, from collecting plants.

We have prepared both a "Series Course" for continuous participation from early summer to winter, and "Single Session Courses" for those who wish to attend a single session.

The single session courses are designed for you to enjoy the beauty of the plants available at that time. You will dye a scarf provided by us and something else you either purchase or bring yourself.

In the series course, we will comprehensively cover the fundamental concepts and methods of natural dyeing, starting from plant collection. The goal is for you to be able to dye at home by yourself.

Ultimately, you will complete a color sample book of silk, linen, and cotton fabrics for each plant, creating a valuable reference for future dyeing with plants found around you. (Optional: you can also dye clothes, fabrics, threads, or other items of your choice.)

*The series course is discounted compared to the single session course.

The workshop will take place over two days. The afternoon of the first day will be dedicated to plant collection and dye liquid preparation, and the second day will be spent entirely on dyeing.

The instructor will be Yuumi Suwa, who has been in charge of natural dyeing from plant collection at Itoshiro Clothes Shop.

She is a natural dyeing expert who, when she takes a walk, looks at plants with curiosity, wondering what color they will produce, then happily gathers them and dyes. She even went as far as to launch her own natural dyeing brand.

Her famous quote, I believe, is that because there's no definitive answer in natural dyeing, it's both challenging and enjoyable, something she could play with for a lifetime.

Why not join her and go into the fields and mountains of Itoshiro to learn natural dyeing, starting from plant collection?

If you're interested, please dojoin us!

<日程と染める植物>

[Series & Single Session Course held concurrently] *Friday & Saturday
1st Session: 6/19-20 Mugwort & Horsetail from Itoshiro (Mordant: lye + alum)
2nd Session: 8/28-29 Walnut leaves (Mordant: iron)
3rd Session: 10/9-10 Chestnut burrs (Mordant: iron)
4th Session: 12/4-5 Loquat leaves (Mordant: lye + alum)
*The 4th session will be a kitchen-based workshop, simulating a home environment.
*The content may change depending on the condition of the plants.

[Day 1]
13:00 Meeting & Plant Collection Starts
15:00 Plant Cutting & Extraction + Lecture
18:00 End
*If you wish to stay overnight, please contact us for nearby accommodation recommendations.

[Day 2]
10:00 Strain liquid, pre-soak items to be dyed
11:00 Dyeing & Mordanting
12:30 Lunch (included in participation fee)
13:30 Resume dyeing
17:00 Dismissal
*Participation in both days is required for the workshop. However, if you cannot attend both days, you must attend Day 2.

For single session participants:
・You will dye one organic cotton stole (a tenugui will be used for the 4th session)

For series course participants (attending all 4 sessions):
・Each time, you will dye swatches of linen, cotton, and silk (A5 size) to ultimately create a dye sample book

(Additional charges apply)
・If desired, in addition to the above, you can purchase and dye clothes from our store.
　＊Please try on and purchase on the first day of the course.
　＊Examples of clothes that can be dyed:
　　Echizen Shirt - Linen
　　Echizen Short-Sleeved Shirt - Flannel
　　Echizen Long-Sleeved Shirt - Flannel
　　Echizen Shirt - Organic Cotton
　　Echizen Blouse - Linen
　　Echizen Dress - Linen
　　Casual Dress - Linen
　　Tattsuke Linen - Natural
　　Hakama Linen - Natural
　　Karusan Linen - Natural
　　＊Availability for purchase depends on current stock.

・You can bring your own items to dye (10 yen/g + tax).For example, for a 200g shirt, the dyeing fee would be 2,200 yen. In this case, each person can bring up to 400g of yarn, fabric, clothes, etc. Cotton, silk, and linen can be dyed. Polyester, nylon, etc., cannot be dyed.

10 people (minimum 5 participants per session)

Single Session Course: 25,000 yen
(Includes lunch on Day 2, one scarf or tenugui for dyeing, and course materials)
Series Course: 90,000 yen
(Includes lunch on Day 2 for each session, dyeing fabric for each session, sample book, and course materials)

Single session course: 2 weeks before the event
(Session 1: June 5, Session 2: August 14, Session 3: September 25, Session 4: November 20)
Series course: May 30
*If the minimum number of participants is not met by the deadline for each session, it will be cancelled. In that case, you will be contacted after the deadline.

Scissors for cutting plants (e.g., pruning shears), long-sleeved work clothes, hat, work gloves, boots

Yuumi Suwa:
Her interest in natural dyeing was sparked by a story about cherry blossom dyeing she read in an elementary school textbook. Captivated by the joy, mystery, and above all, the beauty of extracting colors from plants, she attended a fashion design school but spent her days engrossed in dyeing in her home kitchen. After graduation, she worked at a dye factory and an apparel manufacturer before becoming a freelancer. She travels around various regions, creating works by dyeing with local plants. Since 2018, she has been in charge of natural dyeing at Itoshiro Clothes Shop.

Message from the instructor:
As I delved into the colors of plants, I gradually wanted to learn more about their forms and shapes. While the joy of blending dyes from dried roots and chopped leaves to achieve a desired color is undeniable, my desire to understand the background of the plants themselves—their habitats, flowering seasons, etc.—grew stronger. Even with the same plant, the color can vary depending on where it grew, when it was harvested, whether it's a leaf or a root, or if it's fresh or dried... once I start thinking about it, there's no end. The plants I encounter in my daily life—on a walk, in an empty lot, or in the wild—are not just dye materials; they are living beings with their own forms and shapes.
In this workshop, by starting with collection, we will go through all the steps from encountering living plants to the birth of their colors. Come and discover the infinite joy that expands from your own hands.

[Series Course]
・Those who want to learn natural dyeing comprehensively and seriously.
・Those who want to learn how to make iron mordants.
・Those who want to dye with various seasonal plants.
・Those who want to understand the difference in color development depending on the material.
・Those who aspire to work in natural dyeing in the future.

[Single Session Course]
・Those who want to know what colors different plants can dye.
・Those who want to experience dyeing from plant collection.
・Those who want to dye their favorite items with natural dyes.
・Those who want to create natural dyed clothes or crafts.

[Series Course]
・It was great that everything was taught so comprehensively, allowing me to collect plants and dye on my own outside of the workshop.
・Natural dyeing, which once felt distant, gradually became clearer with each session. I was always delighted and moved by the seasonal plants and the colors I discovered each time.
・I am truly grateful for all the knowledge I gained about natural dyeing.
・Collecting plants in the beautiful village of Itoshiro was very refreshing and enjoyable.

[Single Session Course]
・It was so much fun and I gained practical knowledge for daily life.
・It was interesting to realize that you wouldn't know until you tried, and that there are various conditions (water, temperature, material, etc.) so the color isn't always the same.
・It was great to work together with other participants and have a lot of fun.
・I was moved to learn that natural dyeing involves so much careful effort to create a single piece.

◆Cancellation Policy

*Starting April 10, 2025, the cancellation policy will be changed as follows. The new cancellation policy will apply to all applications made on or after April 10.

・Cancellation from application date up to 7 days before the event: 5% fee
・Cancellation 6 days to 3 days before the event: 50% fee
・Cancellation thereafter: Full amount