The Natural Dye Workshop by Maiwa

The Maiwa Natural Dye Workshop is a 10-week online course from the Maiwa School of Textiles in Vancouver, taught by Charllotte Kwon and Sophena Kwon. It covers mordanting, tannins, eleven natural dyes including indigo and eighteen recipes on wool, cotton, linen, silk and a hemp and cotton blend. There are 45 instructional videos, written recipes and PDFs, and question-and-answer sessions with the instructors three times a week. It costs $200 USD with three years of access. The current session is full; registration for the next one opens on 11 January 2027.

Natural dyeing has a reputation for being unpredictable, and much of what circulates online is either very basic or very scattered. This course gathers the core methods into one sequence and is taught by a team with decades of natural dye experience and a long history of working with artisan dyers. Maiwa also runs a textile archive and research library on Granville Island, and that grounding in traditional practice shapes the teaching. For anyone interested in lower-impact colour, it is a thorough route into natural dyes.

What You Will Learn

The course works through the full natural dye process, from preparing fibre to layering colour. According to the official page, it covers:

• Mordanting both cellulose (plant) fibres and protein (animal) fibres
• Using tannins as part of the dye process
• Working with eleven natural dyes, including indigo
• Making more than eighteen dye baths on wool, cotton, linen, silk and hemp/cotton
• Exhaust baths, which get more colour from a dye bath
• Overdyeing and iron shifts to change and deepen colours
• An introduction to shaped resist

Who Is the Maiwa Natural Dye Workshop For?

The direct answer: textile makers, knitters, weavers, quilters and surface designers who want a structured grounding in natural dye. Because it starts with mordants and moves through recipes in order, it also suits people who have tried dyeing with kitchen scraps and want reliable, repeatable results.

It is less suited to someone looking for a quick, single-project tutorial; the course is long and builds week by week. The official page does not state a skill level, so if you are unsure whether it suits you, check the official page or contact Maiwa before registering. You also need space to heat dye pots and handle mordants safely.

Course Structure

The course runs over ten weeks, with new content released each week, but you can also work at your own pace. Materials include:

• Videos: 45 instructional videos
• Written material: instructions, recipes and downloadable PDFs
• Live support: question-and-answer sessions with the instructors three times a week
• Dyes and recipes: eleven natural dyes and eighteen recipes across five fibre types
• Final topic: an introduction to shaped resist

The official page does not list week-by-week module titles, so check it for the detailed order of lessons.

Price and Access

The Maiwa Natural Dye Workshop costs $200 USD. An optional supply kit is sold separately on maiwa.com, priced in Canadian dollars. Course content stays available for three years, and Maiwa's online workshops can be bought as gifts.

Timing matters here. The October 2026 session is full and already in progress, and Maiwa states that the next registration opens on 11 January 2027. The link on this page goes to Maiwa's current registration page, where the next session will appear.

About the Instructors

Charllotte Kwon owns Maiwa Handprints Ltd., directs the Maiwa Foundation and runs a textile archive and research library on Granville Island in Vancouver. She teaches with Sophena Kwon; together they have decades of natural dye experience and a long history with artisan dyers. Maiwa has also produced four documentary films and print publications.

Things to Consider

• Registration: the current session is full; registration for the next session opens 11 January 2027.
• Time: ten weeks of weekly content, plus time for dye baths that often need hours or overnight steps.
• Supplies: budget for the optional kit (in CAD) or source your own dyes, mordants and fibres.
• Space and safety: use dedicated pots and good ventilation, and follow the handling notes for mordants.
• Support: the Q&A sessions three times a week are the main route for questions, so note the times.
• Access: three years is long enough to repeat the recipes across seasons.

How to Get the Most From It

Keep a dye notebook with fibre weights, mordants, times and a swatch from every bath. Small samples on all five fibres teach you more than one large project. Bring photos of your swatches to the Q&A sessions; the Maiwa Natural Dye Workshop is built around that weekly back-and-forth with the instructors.

Start the Course

Interested in learning with Maiwa School of Textiles?

Start The Natural Dye Workshop

For the full syllabus and pricing, visit the official Maiwa School of Textiles website.

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Last verified: November 12, 2026