Regional Rainbow - a Survey of the Finest Wild Dye Fungi from the Upper Midwest with Alissa Allen

In this 1.5-day intensive, we’ll go through all aspects of making a full spectrum of dyes from wild mushrooms and lichens. We’ll start the day expanding our mushroom identification skills, as we take a stroll through the campus forest.  We’ll peer into the world of the fungal kingdom - exploring the hosting tree communities, the make-up of the forest floor, and the key characteristics of the fruiting bodies we encounter. Samples of our finds will be documented and added to the collective table for all to observe with any abundant dye species going to our dye pots.

We’ll spend the afternoon testing, extracting and optimizing the natural dye makers of the region. Through hands-on experience, you will get a thorough grasp of how to work with mushroom and lichen dyes on wool and the effects of mordants and modifiers. At the end of day one, we’ll have a rainbow of…