Mycopigments – Mushroom and Lichen Dyes of the Mendocino Coast

In this two-day workshop, we will explore the brilliant range of colorful mushroom and lichen dyes found on the Mendocino Coast. Using regionally available fungi and the latest extraction techniques, we will dye over 20 samples resulting in an extended rainbow of color.

We will explore surface design possibilities on silk using resist techniques and dye batches of color on various types of fiber to see how the dyes reveal themselves depending on the fiber used.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll be able to confidently carry on with your own dye experimentation at home. You’ll have experience choosing fiber, maximizing the dye potential of local dye species, working with mordants and pH modifiers, making larger dye vats of commonly found species, and utilizing exhaust baths to achieve even more color variation.

You’ll take home samples and the recipes used in class, a compact guidebook that goes through all the steps for working with fungal dyes, and a color guide to the best dye species in the area. You’ll have an elegant mushroom-dyed silk scarf and enough mushroom-dyed fiber for a small project.

Alissa Allen is the founder of Mycopigments. She specializes in teaching about regional mushroom and lichen dye palettes to fiber artists and mushroom enthusiasts all over the world. Alissa got her start in the Pacific Northwest and has been sharing her passion for mushrooms for over 20 years. She has written articles for Fungi Magazine and Fibershed, is published in Nature’s Colorways: Conjuring the Chemistry and Culture of Natural Dyes, Long Thread Media, and her work with mushroom dyes is highlighted in True Colors: World Masters of Natural Dyes and Pigments by Keith Recker, Thrums Publications.

In 2015, Alissa created Mushroom and Lichen Dyers United and the Mushroom Dyers Trading Post Facebook groups as a platform to mentor, connect, and facilitate discussion between her students and folks with less access to her classes. These groups along with her prolific workshop offerings and informational dye booths have brought together a vibrant community of over 30,000 members. Though her teachings are centered around regional fungal dye palettes, her overall mission is to inspire people to engage more deeply with nature. It is her hope that with engagement, commitment to care for our planet will grow exponentially.