Description: Rocky Fork Folk School - Natural Dyes
Location: Rocky Fork State Park
Natural Dyeing Workshop with Jennifer Bauer
Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14, 2026
For generations, various cultures, worldwide, have used native plants, insects, minerals, and other natural resources to extract color. Uses include dyeing fibers for clothing, wooden splits for basketry, cornhusks, and much more. The native plants, along with dye plants brought to America by early settlers, have been gathered and processed to yield colors which enrich our lives.
On Saturday, June 13, from Noon 'til 4 pm, we will have an overview of natural dyeing, see examples of dye plants and other sources, along with dyed yarns. We will learn how to prepare and treat wool yarn for natural dyeing and prepare and set the dye plants for the dye process on Sunday.
On Sunday, June 14 from 11 am 'til 4 pm, we will set up our brass and iron pots over an open fire and dye our yarn samples prepared on Saturday.
Jennifer is a retired TN State Park manager, biology instructor, and author. She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a degree in Biology and Art, followed by a Master of Arts in Teaching. She has been exploring the art of natural dyeing for over 30 years.
Event Document:
Essential Eligibility Criteria