The colours of nature - GranSassoLaga ICH

Cota, or Yellow Chamomile (Anthemis Tinctoria) for yellow, walnut husk for brown, woad (Isatis tinctoria) for blue and onion for orange: deriving the ingredients for dyeing fabrics, yarns and clothes from the natural world is possible thanks to the ancient knowledge handed down by the communities in the Gran Sasso area. Chests and wardrobes are filled with fibres and fabrics which are coloured using dye baths of flowers and barks from the forest and the gardens in an environmentally–friendly process.

COST PER PERSON

€ 120

EXPERIENCE DATE

18-19 August 2018

EXPERIENCE LOCATION

Pietracamela

SEATS AVAILABLE: 13

LANGUAGE SPOKEN

In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to get to know the techniques and methods for basic natural dyeing of fibres of animal origin: wool and silk.

On the first day you will be taught the history of colouring fabrics and fibres with natural dyes and you will learn the initial stages of the process up to the preparation of the etching of the wool and the maceration of dyeing plants. You will be shown the plants and taught their properties and origins. You will also learn about the type of tools and the equipment that are necessary in order to be able to dye safely on your own even at home.

On the second day you will learn how to extract dyes from the native plants harvested in the Gran Sasso area and soaked the previous day, and also how to colour fibres in dye baths. At the end of the workshop each participant will be able to take home their shade card with the recipes used during the course and the relative samples of dyed wool.

DURATION

12 hours of workshop divided into two days:

Saturday 19th August from 3pm until 7pm;

Sunday 20th August from 10am until 6pm (with lunch).

REQUIREMENTS

Gloves and apron or work clothes, pen and paper.

MATERIALS PROVIDED

Wool yarn, dyeing plants, mordants, all necessary equipment.

SEATS AVAILABLE

The workshop will be run for a minimum of five and a maximum of thirteen participants.

COST

€ 120 (including materials).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Lunch of 20th August is at the expense of the participants.

INFO AND BOOKING

CONTACT DIRECTLY THE WORKSHOP ORGANIZER

+39 333.2777846

larubiaperegrina@gmail.com

Mara Di Giammatteo

Biography

Mara Di Giammatteo was born in Intermesoli (TE) and she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 1996. Since 1992 she has exhibited in national and international exhibitions and has collaborated with art galleries and cultural associations. She is also an illustrator of children’s books and has published “The Legends of the Sleepy Mountain” (Ideasuoni, 2003), “The Fabulous Recipe” (Media, 2007) and “The Alphabet of the Good Terrestrial” (Ricerche&Redazioni, 2015).

She is native from Intermesoli and she has always linked her artistic research to the theme of memory, seen as both an opportunity for education and a field of investigation. In fact, she is also involved in theatre and has used her knowledge of the oral tradition for solo artistic and socio-cultural productions related to the territory of Gran Sasso.

In 2014-2015 she attended courses and qualified in the techniques of natural dyeing and tapestry weaving at the Museum of the People of Abruzzo in Pescara, in collaboration with the Fondazione Lisio of Florence and the Association of Natural Dyes M. E. Salice of Milan. A lecturer in painting and painting techniques, in 2016 she created the La Rubia Peregrina workshops in Abruzzo and Emilia Romagna, where she teaches techniques of natural dyeing of plant and animal fibres and tapestry weaving. Since 2017 she has collaborated as a teacher of natural dyeing in training courses at the Trame Tinte d’arte Workshop in the Museum of Rural Life in Bentivoglio (BO).