Natural Dye BYOF (Bring Your Own Fabric) workshop with Paaras Abbas

Link to sign up to event here.

Join Ahista Stories and Paaras Abbas for a natural dye workshop, using food waste like onion skins and avocado pits to breathe new life into clothes or linen you already own. You’ll learn how to process dyes from food waste and use common kitchen items like chopsticks to make interesting tie-dye patterns.

This is the first in a series of three BYOF (Bring Your Own Fabric) Workshops that celebrate South Asian Heritage Month through hands-on work with upcycling techniques including natural dye, block printing and embroidery.

The Natural Dye workshop will begin with a presentation by Farihah Choudhury from Ahista Stories, on the interconnectedness of the food and fashion waste crises. Then, textile artist Paaras Abbas will guide participants through natural dyeing using food waste.

We strongly urge you to bring your own fabric to fully engage with the ethos of this series.

Fabric guidance: Participants should bring small, white or undyed items made of cotton, bamboo, hemp, linen, silk or wool. Natural dyes can only be fixed to fabrics with the help of a pre-treatment called mordanting. Please see our FAQ and purchase either ‘Mordant kit’ or ‘Mordant service’ from the ticket add-ons to ensure your fabric is prepared for the workshop.

This workshop is designed as a standalone, but we strongly encourage participants to attend more than one and build on the same piece of fabric to gain a more holistic experience of upcycling. Discounts will be provided to those attending multiple workshops (stay tuned for event listings).

The event space at Tooting Works is wheelchair accessible and is equipped with a unisex disabled bathroom and baby changing facilities. The closest station is Tooting Broadway, which is on the Northern Line. The closest mosque is less than 15 minutes away, but we can also create a prayer corner in the workshop space.

Follow Ahista Stories and Paaras on Instagram to learn more about previous workshops and what to expect from BYOF Workshops this summer.