The Colours of Spring | A Mindful Natural Dye Workshop

Have you ever wondered how to turn plants into prints on fabric? Or how food scraps from your kitchen might be transformed into vibrant dyes? What might plants teach us about slowing down and deepening our relationships to both ourselves and each other?

In this 2.5-hour workshop, local textile artist Varsha Gill will guide you through the art, science, and magic of natural dyeing. Together, we will prepare cotton for dye, learn about seasonal dye plants, and create beautiful bandanas using fresh and dried plants. Whether you’re new to natural dyes or returning to the practice, you’re invited to approach the process with mindfulness and wonder.

Varsha Gill (she/her) is a textile artist, filmmaker, community arts facilitator, and social worker who believes in the transformative power of art for social and environmental justice. Born, raised, and based on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories, with family roots in Delhi and Punjab, her practice is guided by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s invitation to “reimagine a world where people and land are good medicine for one another.”

Varsha recently completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) at the University of Victoria and an artist residency with the Indian Summer Festival, where she explored how land-and arts-based practices can support trauma-informed, decolonial, and antiracist approaches to healing. Outside of her studies, she nurtures this inquiry through Dyed Smiling, a project where she creates one-of-a-kind naturally dyed textiles in collaboration with food scraps, found objects, and her garden-grown plants.

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Host or Publisher Enabling Arts