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Adult Programs

Natural Dye: Marigolds

Learn to use wilted marigold flowers to make a natural dye.

Content Detail

In this three-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to create a natural dye bath using marigold flowers. Experiment with producing shades of yellow on silk and discover how acidic and alkaline baths can modify the color. Practice your techniques on silk swatches before creating a silk scarf of your own design to take home.

Instructor: Rachel Davis, artist

Age: 16 and older

Course number: A270

Instructor

Rachel Davis, artist

Rachel Davis received her BA from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and her MFA in printmaking from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work has been exhibited in national venues including the Holter Museum of Fine Art in Helena, Montana; Evergreen Galleries in Olympia, Washington; and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters in Madison, Wisconsin. She completed a year-long artist-in-residence at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago in 2018 and an artist-in-residence at the DuPage Children’s Museum in 2019. Currently, she teaches natural dye techniques in the textiles department at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago.

What to Know

This program takes place indoors and outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, or bring an apron.

Dyeing supplies are included in the cost of registration.

Please bring a pair of long kitchen gloves.

See Education Program Policies for information about cancellations, refunds, and scholarships.

Program Schedule

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Thornhill Picnic Shelter (parking lot P-21), West Side

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