Instructor Profiles
Lori Evesque
Natural Dyeing
My Philosophy...
I love sharing what I know and am interested in. No question is a stupid question- questions are how you learn. I like students to be involved in what they are learning- hands on is how people learn. Also, I believe it's important for students to take home a tangible item from classes- besides handouts and samples. That way they can actually have an item to remind them of their experience and share with others.
I love sharing what I know and am interested in. No question is a stupid question- questions are how you learn. I like students to be involved in what they are learning- hands on is how people learn. Also, I believe it's important for students to take home a tangible item from classes- besides handouts and samples. That way they can actually have an item to remind them of their experience and share with others.
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My Story...
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, I grew up northwest of Chicago, had a non-fiber interlude as an engineer – college at Purdue, at a chocolate company in Australia then working on instant rice and waffles for Quaker Oats, then moved to Michigan in ’93 and currently live on a 36 acre farm (Natural Cycles Farm) outside Allegan, MI with my partner Pete, 1 dog, 1 cat, 4 geese, 40+ chickens, 3 Jersey beef steer, and 46 fiber sheep with occasional seasonal other poultry. I’ve been interested in fibers for most of my life starting at age 8 learning to knit and adding most other fiber related crafts over the ensuing years. I learned to spin 30 years ago in Australia and my background in chemistry and interest in growing plants lead my interest in natural dyeing over 20 years ago. (Picture a mad scientist knitting…) I’ve demonstrated natural dyeing at Viking reenactments over an open fire as well as in more conventional places like dye kitchens and studios. My natural dye interest started with dabbling with local dye materials near me and expanded to a desire to see the full range of colors possible, using a range of mordants and modifiers and being able to reproduce those colors. I source many dye materials locally from fields and forests as well as growing many dye plants on my farm. Expanding the range of colors possible from locally sourced materials, including Japanese indigo and madder, is not only my passion but belief that sharing this knowledge with other interested dyers is important for our local community. I’m increasingly interested in the idea of the “Fibershed”: relocalizing the production of fibers for our needs from sourcing our fibers locally to mending and making the textiles we have last longer. I process our fiber sometimes with the help of regional fiber mills and sell raw fleeces, cleaned fiber, naturally dyed loose fiber, naturally dyed and undyed yarns, roving, combed top, and custom batts from my sheep or from other fiber producers in Michigan. |
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Classes I Teach
Building a Teardrop Trailer 
Knife Sharpening Demystified |
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