Year-Long Plant Dye Journey
This year-long plant dye journey is a slow, cumulative exploration of natural dyeing, designed for people who want to build real fluency with plant color over time.
Meeting once a month, the course moves through the full natural dye palette across the seasons. Participants learn foundational preparation techniques, work with a wide range of dye plants, and develop confidence through repetition, observation, and rhythm. Rather than focusing on isolated results, the emphasis is on process literacy and long-term skill building.
Over twelve months, participants dye approximately half a metre of cloth each session, gradually building a personal collection of naturally dyed textiles. Along the way, we explore the practical behaviour of dye plants alongside their historical, cultural, and ecological contexts. Natural dyeing is inherently variable, and this program encourages curiosity, patience, and openness to surprise.
The group is intentionally small to support hands-on learning and meaningful connection. This is a committed cohort rather than a drop-in series, and participants are expected to attend consistently as skills and processes build sequentially.
The program is hosted at the Threads Guild in Winlaw, BC, and guided by local textile practitioners with experience in plant dyeing and land-based textile practices.
Program details
Once a month, Monday evenings, 6:00–8:00 pm
March 2026 to February 2027
Slocan Valley Threads Guild, Winlaw, BC
Small cohort
All dye materials and shared equipment are included. Cloth is not included and may be purchased separately or brought by participants (approved fabrics only).
An optional quilt-making course will be offered following the completion of the journey for participants who wish to transform their dyed cloth into a finished piece.
Facilitators
Tracy Fillion
Tracy Fillion is a textile artist based out of Nelson BC, with over 20 years experience working with fibre. Her focus for the past 10 years has been weaving and plant dyeing, creating functional, utilitarian pieces from thoughtfully sourced natural materials. Tracy teaches weaving at Kootenay School of Arts.
Stefania Zwirello
Stefania is a mostly self-taught fibre artist, guided along the way by beautiful teachers, generous mentors, and a lot of curious making. Her work is rooted in a love of slow processes, tactile materials, and the quiet magic that happens when hands, intention, and imagination meet.
Stefania’s approach to teaching is laid back, and encouraging, inviting students to explore, experiment, and discover their own voice rather than aiming for perfection. As a therapist, she deeply believes in the healing qualities of fibre arts: the way they invite us into flow, reconnect us with ancient and ancestral crafts, and gently remind us that making has always been a human way of caring for ourselves and each other.
She loves storytelling, fascinating facts, and weaving meaning into the learning process. Most of all, she is delighted in watching people surprise themselves with what they can create with a bit of guidance, curiosity, and permission to play.