Maiwa's Honest Line celebrates products that speak for themselves. This is especially true of our undyed yarns. Traditional fibres wound into hanks that are satisfying to hold in your hand and roll through your fingers as you think about your next project.

See our line of Honest Yarns Undyed in store only at Maiwa Supply on Granville Island

7 days a week between 10am and 6pm (Winter Hours)

MAIWA'S NATURAL DYES

Colour is unlike anything else. As an artist, to make colour with natural dyes is to experience a direct connection with your materials. And each of these materials, each dyestuff used, can be a doorway to a new world.

Putting natural colour on cloth involves the use of leaves (such as indigo and henna), barks and woods (logwood, osage), roots (madder), flowers (chamomile, marigold), fruits and nuts (walnut, myrobalan, pomegranate), minerals (alum, iron), and insects (cochineal, lac). These are just some of the classic materials that have been used for thousands of years.

The aromatic steam that rises into the air from the dyepot, especially when working outside on a cool morning, is one of the most compelling aspects of the dyer’s studio. Indeed, working with natural colour is such a sensual experience that many artisans work with natural dyestuff for the sheer pleasure of making the vat. The saturated colours of the immersed materials are also highly photogenic—as is the entire dyeing process.

Maiwa’s obsession with natural dyes is well known. What is less well known is the work that we do behind the scenes each time a shipment of natural dyestuff arrives in our warehouse.

Our role is a bit like that of a master vintner who evaluates multiple grape harvests to make an exceptional wine. We do a complete set of sample tests to evaluate the shade and strength of our shipment. Dyes from natural sources will change with each season. If there has been only little rain one year, the concentration of dyestuff in the plant will alter. So we often combine and blend stocks from multiple years to ensure that the raw dyestuff will yield consistent results. 

At Maiwa our policy is to acquire the raw dyestuff in its most elemental form (wood chips, roots, petals) so that we can ensure purity. We then process it into the form (usually a powder) that works best for the artisan dyer. We use natural dyes extensively in our own production, so we can ensure that each package contains a product we would be proud to use ourselves.

HAND BLOCK PRINTED WITH NATURAL DYES ON 100% ORGANIC COTTON

Created by master craftspeople in India

What the well-dressed beds of 2018 are wearing

Ajrakh is the name of a cloth that has been blockprinted in the traditional method using natural dyes such as indigo, madder, and pomegranate. The ajrakh process is a long one, involving several steps of washing and scouring the cloth, then additional steps to mordant the cloth, and still more steps as each colour is either directly blockprinted or resist blockprinted with natural dyes. The order is of utmost importance as the layers of colour are built up and the traditional geometric ajrakh patterns emerge.

Bagh block printed bedding adds character and depth to any room. The patterning is a beautiful balance of figure and ground that allows motif and colour to sing together. Printed on 100% organic cotton using natural dyes and traditional techniques.

Maiwa’s kalamkari bedding is block printed by hand on 100% organic cotton using natural dyes. Floral motifs and geometric embellishments invoke the Persian influence found in traditional kalamkari. The bedding is a sumptuous combination of line and colour.

By taking advantage of the fine desert sand of Rajasthan, artisans are able to create a mud-resist known as “Dabu.” A cold-water resist, dabu is particularly effective for blocking out areas during an indigo bath. The character of dabu and the wooden blocks used to apply it, go together to create the distinctive patterns known as “dabu” prints.

Colour on yarn — it has motivated artisans for centuries. Yarns - especially wools - are extremely satisfying to dye. There is no feeling quite like dipping a hank of yarn into a dyepot and having them soak up colour. 

This is a comprehensive workshop packed with project that explore dyeing, overdyeing, and direct application. Students leave with a complement of yarns dyed by their own hand ready to take into their next project. Read full description.

Art is about colour. For creative textile artists that means learning to dye. Natalie Grambow's Introduction to Dyes is one of our most sought after workshop for people looking to understand how and why to use the wealth of dye types available. Natalie Grambow is one of our most experienced instructors and few can match the depth and breadth of her knowledge of textile techniques. Thinking about learning how to dye? This workshop is for you. Read full description.

Here is a complete list of courses with one or more openings.

We don't expect these spaces to last.

Learn to Knit (second offering)

Knitting Basics and Beyond

Pure Substance - Unpredictable Pattern

Introduction to Dyes

Arashi Shibori & Silk Painting

Dyeing for Knitters

Reverse Pattern Drafting

Dyeing to Felt

Natural Dyes - Print & Paint

Indigo Dye Nights (second offering)

Pattern Drafting - Working from the Block

Introduction to Shibori & Indigo Dyeing

Dyeing to Sew

The Garden Dyepot

Vintage Hand Sewing Techniques

Under Construction

Banjara Stitches

A large part of Maiwa's 30 year history has been an in-depth study of natural dyes. As artisans we love them for so many reasons: a connection to tradition, a sensitivity to botany, and a deep appreciation of how colour is obtained from the natural world.

Now Maiwa is proud to offer its first range of 100% natural, organic hair dyes . Henna for skin and for hair, cassia for hair, and powdered green-leaf indigo for hair. These are a collection of natural colourants offering a range of colours. Let the beauty of natural dyes adorn you.

VISIT OUR HAIR DYE AND MEHNDI COLLECTION

Henna has been used for over 6000 years to give copper reds and reddish browns to hair, skin, textiles, and leather. The active colouring component in henna is lawsone which is released when dried leaves are ground and a mild acid (lemon juice or vinegar) is added. The dye easily bonds with the proteins in hair and skin.

Cassia (also known as “neutral henna”) grows in East Africa and India where its powdered leaves have been used in the care and colour of hair for centuries. The golden yellow of cassia comes from the anthraquinone chrysophanol. Cassia will dye pale or gray hair a golden wheat colour, however, the colour is not as permanent as henna.

Indigo, the famous blue dye, has been used on textiles for thousands of years. It has also been used (usually combined with henna) on hair to achieve deep browns and blacks. King Darius (520 BC) is thought to have used it. For dyeing hair it is best to use the dried leaves directly—these are available as a finely ground, light-green powder. 

See our Hair Dye & Mehndi Instruction Sheet

If ordering items from our online store that require shipping please note that they won't arrive in time for the holidays, however if you are in the Vancouver area we would love to see you on Granville Island!

Promo Code: WRAPMEUP

PLEASE NOTE:  Enter the promo code at the CHECKOUT stage.  If you are purchasing from a phone or tablet, you will need to click “Show order summary” (in blue text) to be shown the box to enter your promo code.

20% Off all scarves & shawls in the Maiwa online store ends at 11:59pm Sunday December 24th.

Discount does not apply to previously purchased items.


This discount cannot be combined with other offers.