Carol Soderlund fabric dyeing workshops
Carol Soderlund fabric dyeing workshops
Carol Soderlund fabric dyeing workshops
Carol Soderlund fabric dyeing workshops
Carol Soderlund fabric dyeing workshops

Carol Soderlund

An artist and educator for 25+ years, Carol’s curiosity about the range of color derived from blending yellow, red, and blue dyes led to the creation of her Color Mixing system for dyers. Carol encourages the freedom of mixing color by eye with results-based samples to guide the student, and also teaches simple methods for reproducing color on cloth. 

A former high school teacher, Carol loves to develop original course material and share this knowledge with her students. Carol was nominated for Teacher of the Year in 2013 and again in 2015 by the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals.  

Carol is co-author of Playful Fabric Printing with Melanie Testa. She has shown her quilts in juried venues across the country, winning awards including Best of Show at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas.

Carol’s web site

  • • May 18-23, 2025 | Color Mixing for Dyers 5

    Open or Close
    Color Mixing for Dyers 5
    • Level: Beginner to advanced
    • Sewing machine:     No
    • Materials fee:     $80
    • Dye facility usage fee: $30

    • SORRY, class is full To be placed on waiting list, please send in registration & deposit. If space does not become available, a full refund of the deposit will be issued.

    Tuition & Meal plan per 5-day class with Carol:
    • $1405 | paid in full before December 1, 2024 | 5-day Tuition ($1075) & Meal plan ($330)
    • $1430 | paid in full before February 1, 2025 | 5-day Tuition ($1100) & Meal plan ($330)

    • Sign up for one or both weeks of Carol’s workshops.
    DESCRIPTION
    This is a brand new class!

    Students will be creating a fifth set of color families never previously dyed in Carol’s classes. We will be using some different yellow, red, and blue dyes as primaries than in previous classes, including some fairly new to the marketplace. Whether you are brand new to Carol’s process of creating color mixes from pure primary colors, or if you are an experienced dyer wanting a new set of samples, this is your opportunity!

    Dye the color you choose, not the color that chooses you! Explore the unlimited number of hues possible by mixing only pure reds, yellows, and blues of Procion MX fiber reactive dye. Teams of students will use different sets of primaries that when mixed will yield hundreds of colors in a wide range of values. Sharing the results, each student will build a sample book of more than 1,000 dye swatches and their recipes on 100% cotton fabric. This book will become an invaluable reference for future dyeing. Using the sample book as a guide, each student will apply the basic techniques of dyeing, including dyeing value gradations, over-dyeing, and low water immersion techniques.

    Along with this hands-on approach, students will come to understand color theory in three-dimensional model that goes beyond the color wheel. We will examine the difference between color theory and color reality, and break through the confusions of so many color systems that are not dye-based. This course will be a wonderful foundation for wearable artists, quilters, needleworkers, weavers, and dyers of cellulose fibers and silk, or for anyone who wants to learn more about the interactions of color.
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    SUPPLIES
    (Please label your own supplies)

    5 yards fabric for further dye explorations:
    • PFD - prepared for dyeing - fabric recommended. In addition to cotton, you may bring some silk, rayon, linen or tencel if you like to work in these fibers.
    Note to weavers: It is fine if you would like to bring some skeined yarns for dyeing: cotton, linen, rayon, tencel, or silk.
    • Optional: samples of your dyed fabric and/or photos of your work

    Office supplies:
    • Notebook for note taking and a pen
    • Two three-ring binders, one 1 1/2” thick and one 1/2” thick
    • 100 CLEAR page protectors (Buy in bulk at office supply store: do not buy those that have holes through the main section of the page protector. You want the ones with holes through the band on the margin.)
    • Scotch double sided tape - 1/2” wide (enough to total 100 yards of tape)
    • Masking tape
    • 30 long (#10) envelopes
    • Stapler plus extra staples
    • 20 rubber bands
    • Sharpie (permanent marker)
    • Calculator

    Cutting tools:
    • Small pair scissors for paper and one pair for fabric
    • Rotary cutter (Bring a fresh straight blade as you will cut through numerous layers at once. The large 60mm cutters work the best for this. Students tell me that if you bring a 45 mm cutter you will struggle, as the depth of fabric is deeper than the exposed blade.)
    • Rotary cutting mat (11” x 17” or larger if you can manage it)
    • Quilter’s plexiglas rulers (6” x 24” and 6” x 12”)
    • Optional: June Tailor Shape Cut ruler - the large size. The slots must be at least 11”” long. This is particularly good for weavers and those inexperienced in rotary cutting. Sign up for JoAnn’s newsletters and they will send you 40% off coupons.

    Other items:
    • Iron and ironing pad, or old terry towel (if you are driving)
    • Adhesive lint roller from the dollar store
    • Rubber gloves - both the loose dishwashing kind that extend up the arm, and the close-fitting latex or nitrile kind
    • 3 pointy top squeeze bottles, 8 oz. each
    • Two 5 gallon buckets (if you are driving)
    • One large strong plastic spoon at least 12” long - straight, not bent, is better
    • One box of one gallon Ziploc bags
    • Dye mask, if you have one
    • Apron or old clothes

    Plastic Containers: (If you are flying, we will arrange to get these items for you as needed.)
    • 15 plastic party cups (8 oz. or larger) and 10 plastic picnic spoons
    • One plastic orange juice bottle - Simply Orange brand (or limeade, etc.) at least 1.5L
    • One gallon milk jug - Rinse all jugs, and be sure to keep the caps!



    Materials fee info:
    Carol will provide all the dyes and chemicals necessary, as well as over 100 pages of handouts and swatch book pages, and all the fabric necessary for the sample book. Carol will bring a variety of other equipment to use in class.

    If you have any questions about the materials list or the course in general, please     contact Carol

  • • May 25-30, 2025 | Trust the Process: Black and White Plus Color

    Open or Close
    Trust the Process: Black and White Plus Color
    • Level: Beginner to advanced
    • Sewing machine: No
    • Materials fee:     $70
    • Dye facility usage fee: $30

    • SORRY, class is full To be placed on waiting list, please send in registration & deposit. If space does not become available, a full refund of the deposit will be issued.

    Tuition & Meal plan per 5-day class with Carol:
    • $1405 | paid in full before December 1, 2024 | 5-day Tuition ($1075) & Meal plan ($330)
    • $1430 | paid in full before February 1, 2025 | 5-day Tuition ($1100) & Meal plan ($330)

    • Sign up for one or both weeks of Carol’s workshops.
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    DESCRIPTION
    This is a brand new class!

    In his book by that title, Shaun McNiff states, “In the creative process, one action leads to another, and the final outcome is shaped by a chain of expressions that could never be planned in advance.”

    In this class, we will explore a process with an undetermined outcome. A balance between knowing and un-knowing will be sought—the process will be revealed one step at a time, so that no prior thinking can cloud the free expression of the moment.

    Screen-printing and direct painting of thickened and thin dyes, plus mark-making with India ink and acrylic markers will be the primary techniques we will use to build a process and explore outcomes. The results will be several whole cloth compositions, plus parts to seed a series of smaller compositions.
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    SUPPLIES
    (Please label your own supplies)

    • PFD cotton (prepared for dyeing) - a minimum 10 yards.
    If desired, bring some shirt-weight silk, linen, or rayon - or a combination of all of these in addition. Understand that you will be very experimental, so costly yardage is not a good idea. You will not feel free with it.
    • Soda soak ahead of class - Soda soak at least two yards before class. You may cut the cloth in 1 yard pieces for easier handling. Use a large bucket or bin. Mix 1/2 cup soda ash powder with 1 gallon of warm water in the bucket. Stir until dissolved. Soak the fabric 10-15 minutes. Wring out, and hang to dry on a line or over a bathtub or rubbermaid bin.
    • Also bring 2-3 yards washed muslin or extra PFD to use as an under-cloth when printing. (Do not soda soak the muslin.)
    • Silkscreens: Bring a minimum of two silk screens with 110 mesh (Carol will send links with suggested silkscreens 6 weeks ahead of class.)
    • Sketchbook or notebook and pen
    • Drawing pad - 9” x 12”
    • A variety of drawing tools and pens you like (Carol will send suggestions 6 weeks ahead of class.)
    • Small pair scissors or snips
    • Scissors to cut paper and plastic
    • Rotary cutting mat, cutter, and ruler
    • If you have more than one cutter, a second cutter with an old blade for paper use is handy, or an X-acto knife
    • 10+ sheet protectors for handouts
    • 1” three-ring binder
    • Stapler and staples
    • Sharpie or other permanent marker that will write on plastic
    • Old clothes or a paint smock to wear
    • Rubber gloves - both the thin nitrile or latex ones from the pharmacy, and the heavier
    dishwashing kind
    • Pins for pinning on the wall
    • Two 5 gallon buckets
    • Masking tape in several widths - the ordinary, not BLUE tape!
    • 1 plastic drop cloth, at least 2 mil in thickness
    • 3-4 brushes - suggestions: small detail brush with round point, flat brush about 1/2” to 1“ wide, 2” chip brush
    • Scraper, such as a wallpaper smoother from the paint department or a Bondo spreader from the automotive supply store
    • Things for printing: Bring one bagful of favorite stencils, string, rubber bands, etc. These should be flat items (under 1/16”)
    • 2 table-size pieces of plastic to roll cloth in to take home
    • Inspiration sources such as Pinterest, photos, clippings, especially marks you like and shapes you like
    • Optional: chalk marker


    Materials fee info:
    Carol will provide all the dyes, auxiliary chemicals and paints necessary, as well as handouts. Carol will bring a variety of other equipment to use in class.


    If you have any questions about the materials list or the course in general, please     contact Carol
  • • 2025 Spring Art Retreats | Tuition and Meal Plan
    Tuition & Meal plan for 1-week class with Carol Soderlund:
    • Sign up for one or both weeks of Carol’s workshops.
    • $1405 | paid in full before December 1, 2024 | 5-day Tuition ($1075) & Meal plan ($330)
    • $1430 | paid in full before February 1, 2025 | 5-day Tuition ($1100) & Meal plan ($330)
    + $110 materials & dye facility usage fee for Color Mixing for Dyers 5
    + $100 materials & dye facility usage fee for Trust the Process: Black and White Plus Color

    Tuition & Meal plan for 2-week classes with Nancy Crow:
    Both weeks (10-day class) of these workshops are to be taken back-to-back. No registrations accepted for only one week.
    • $2810 | paid in full before December 1, 2024 | 10-day Tuition ($2150) & Meal plan ($660)
    • $2860 | paid in full before February 1, 2025 | 10-day Tuition ($2200) & Meal plan ($660)

    Tuition & Meal plan for 2-week class with David Hornung:
    Both weeks (10-day class) of this workshop are to be taken back-to-back. No registrations accepted for only one week.
    • $2810 | paid in full before December 1, 2024 | 10-day Tuition ($2150) & Meal plan ($660)
    • $2860 | paid in full before February 1, 2025 | 10-day Tuition ($2200) & Meal plan ($660)
    + $60 facility usage fee


    Meal plan
    During the art retreats, Margaret Wolf, will prepare fabulous gourmet lunches and dinners plus a coffee/snack break daily during each week of class. The meal plan is provided so participants may concentrate fully on their work without being bothered by the interruption and inconvenience of cooking for themselves. The break times present a great opportunity to get to know your fellow students, share ideas, and just relax together in this wonderful environment.

    The meal plan includes an opening night welcome dinner, five lunches, five afternoon coffee/pastry breaks, and four more dinners during the duration of the workshop. Coffee, tea and water will be served during these break times. Participants are responsible for any other beverage choices, such as soda pop, beer, wine, milk or bottled water.

    Please keep in mind that if anyone chooses not to participate in the meal plan, they are solely responsible for all of their meals, snacks, coffee, tea, and other beverages. The kitchen facilities are reserved for the resident chef. There is a microwave and a refrigerator in the wet studio for student use. Most restaurants are at least a 20 minute drive away from the barn.

    Please note: Due to facility limitations, meal plans are available only for workshop participants.
  • • Accommodations
    Accommodations:

    New hotel Hampton Inn, Canal Winchester, Ohio (20-25 minute drive to Crow Timber Frame Barn)
    This new, highly rated, clean, comfortable hotel is offering reduced rates. Phone: 614-953-2204
    • For special rate, please book online

    The Morgan Theater Home, Baltimore, Ohio (5 minute drive to the Crow Timber Frame Barn, mention Crow Barn)
    Former silent movie theater converted into a private residence. Three rooms for rent include free cable TV & free high speed internet access. Kitchen/refrigerator/stove & all "kitchen stuff" available. Phone: 740-862-4765 or Email

    Other accommodations, please negotiate your own weekly rates:

    AirBnB options in the area near the Crow Timber Frame Barn

    City of Lancaster, Ohio (20-25 minute drive to the Crow Timber Frame Barn)
    • Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 740-654-4445
    • Hampton Inn, 740-654-2999
    City of Reynoldsburg, Ohio (20-25 minute drive to the Crow Timber Frame Barn)
    • Fairfield Inn, 614-864-4555

    Campgrounds near the Crow Timber Frame Barn
    Rippling Stream Campground, Baltimore, OH, 740-862-6065, (5 minute drive to the Crow Timber Frame Barn)
    KOA Campground, Buckeye Lake, OH, 740-928-0706, (15-20 minute drive to the Crow Timber Frame Barn)
  • • Miscellaneous information
    Roommate
    • Please let us know if you would like a roommate. We will try to match you with another participant to share accommodations.

    Travel to and from the Crow Timber Frame Barn
    • The Barn is located near Baltimore, Ohio (southeast of Columbus, Ohio)
    • Please keep in mind that there is not a shuttle service to and from the motels to the farm, therefore please arrange a rental car or carpool with another participant.
    • John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) in Columbus, Ohio, is the major airport serving the area (30 minute drive to the Barn)

    Rental sewing machines, cutting mats & lamps
    • Bernina sewing machines are available for $75 per 5-day class or $150 per 10-day class.
    • Cutting mats are available for $15 per 5-day class or $30 per 10-day class.
    • Lamps are available for $15 per 5-day class or $30 per 10-day class.

    Formal class hours
    • Monday-Friday: 9-12 and 2-5 daily
    (Classrooms are open 7 am-9 pm Monday-Thursday, 7 am-5 pm Friday)

    Professional facilities
    Each student is provided with a large work table, an 8’ x 8’ work wall, and a comfortable chair. Classrooms are well illuminated and are open from early morning until late in the evening, plus the classrooms have air conditioning & heating. The surface design/dye studio at the Crow Timber Frame Barn includes large padded tables, lots of light (natural and color-corrected bulbs), 3 commercial stainless steel sinks, & washer/dryer. All facilities are non-smoking.

    Mailing list
    If you would like to be placed on a mailing list for information about upcoming art retreats, please send your contact info.

    Questions? Email
Images of Carol Soderlund, student work and classes at the Crow Timber Frame Barn

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