Amanda Thatch

Experiments with Natural Dyes

August 2 - 7, 2026

Open to All Skill Levels

Fibers, Textiles

Overview

This workshop will explore several approaches to working with dyes from natural sources on natural fibers such as wool, silk, and cotton. Students will become familiar with best practices for getting strong, consistent, and predictable colors on cloth, especially through appropriate pretreatment in mordants. Techniques covered include immersion dyeing for solid colors, basic resist techniques such as shibori, mordant printing to achieve multiple shades in a single dye bath, overdye for color mixing, and how to modify color with iron. The workshop will also mix an indigo vat for blue, to be used alone and in combination with other dyes. Students will be encouraged to try out many ways of working and then focus on the technique that most piques their interest, ending up with a wide array of samples and deeper explorations into the possibilities of natural dyes.

Course Fee : $760.00

Scholarships & Material Fees

Need help covering workshop costs? Arrowmont offers financial aid opportunities to broaden access to our arts and craft programs. We believe a diverse community enriches the learning experience for all.

Material fees are not included in our national workshop costs, but are included with the cost of our winter short workshops. A material list with estimated costs will be emailed about 30 days before the national workshop begins.

TUITION & FEES

SCHOLARSHIPS

Cost Breakdown

Registration Fee

$50.00

One Week Workshop Tuition

$760.00

Estimated Cost*
*Fees exclude housing and meal plans

$810.00

VIEW HOUSING & MEAL PLAN COSTS

Artist Bio

Amanda Thatch

Amanda Thatch is a textile artist specializing in weaving and natural dyes, working out of a studio in southwest Detroit, Michigan. She earned her BFA in 2004 from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA in 2021 from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In the years between her degrees, Amanda spent significant time at the Penland School of Craft in Western North Carolina. She was a Penland Core Fellow from 2010–2011, where she learned weaving and studied natural dyes with Catharine Ellis, and later served as the studio coordinator for Textiles and Drawing/Painting from 2014–2018. Amanda has been a resident artist at several institutions, including Art Farm, Alabama Chanin Studio, and most recently as a weaving resident at Berea College. She exhibits her work in galleries and actively teaches workshops in weaving and natural dyes, while also serving as a visiting artist at various schools and universities.

Artist Website

Explore the Textiles Studio

Located on the second floor of the Turner Building, the Textile Studio looks out over a sunny hill towards the Wood Building and downtown Gatlinburg. A bright and spacious space equipped for all things fabric and textiles, the workshop rotation in this space is as diverse and wide-reaching as the students and artists that populate our campus. A peaceful atmosphere with intimate corners for quiet sewing and contemplation give way to joy and laughter when the room is filled with the repetitive whir of the sewing machine or the plop of a freshly dipped garment in a vat of dye.

Explore the Textiles Studio