living well with nature
Susannah lives off-grid on a canal boat on the Grand Union canal just outside London with eight quails. She uses plants along the towpath for natural dyes.
Workshops and Talks
I offer workshops and talks for adults and children about organic and permaculture gardening and traditional crafts.
As a seasoned educator and experienced speaker I teach for Permablitz London (where I am a Co-founder/Director) and feature regularly at the London Permaculture Festival, Cecil Sharp House, Capital Growth, Social Farms & Gardens and RHS Urban Show. I’m well-known and connected to London’s community garden scene and I’ve even met King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla when they opened a garden I co-designed in 2022.
I live sustainably on a narrowboat on the Grand Union Canal with my quails and a small garden made of planters created with help through permablitzing.
If you’d like to try something completely different for your hen party, afternoon tea or children’s party (suitable for all ages from 5yrs up) book me to bring a mobile natural dye or felting workshop or design your own session. Available in North West London, Berkhamsted & Hemel Hempstead.
If you want to keep up to date with my latest workshops and courses join my mailing list
LONDON COURSES & WORKSHOPS
Thursday 19th November
6.30pm-8.30pm
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)
Come along for an evening to make a Christmas present by naturally dyeing a choice of a cushion cover, napkins, scarf, t-towel or a tote bag made from organic cotton. You’ll be able to choose what colour to use to naturally dye your present, create a pattern and if you’d like to, combine colours. There will be dye vats of madder (red), weld (yellow), logwood (deep purple) and indigo.
Indicate in the form what you’d like to dye for your Christmas present (choose one).
Then make your own Christmas wrapping materials. You can block print some wrapping paper with tags or naturally dye a drawstring bag that can be re-used year after year.
Thursday 19th November
6.30pm-8.30pm
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
Come along for an evening to make a Christmas present by naturally dyeing a choice of a cushion cover, napkins, scarf, t-towel or a tote bag made from organic cotton.
Saturday 30th January • 10am-4pm
Cecil Sharp House, Camden, NW1 7AY
Nearest tube Camden Town (Northern line)
Start the new year learning a new craft that you can do with your hands: come and spend a day turning wool into something beautiful that you've made entirely with your own hands with just water, soap and a bit of rubbing.
Felt is one of the oldest fabrics in the world, and the reason it exists at all comes down to the wool fibre itself: under a microscope, every strand is covered in tiny scales that lock together when they're wetted, warmed and worked. Given time and the right technique, this turns loose wool into a dense, tough fabric strong enough to have made rugs, tents, boots, and even armour.
Come along and you'll learn the whole process hands-on: laying out the wool and using a 'resist' to shape it into a felt pot and a bag. Play with colour by blending different wools together and you'll leave with a one-of-a-kind pot and bag.
What you need to bring: an apron
No experience needed.
10am-4pm
Cecil Sharp House, Camden, NW1 7AY
Start the new year learning a new craft that you can do with your hands: come and spend a day turning wool into something beautiful that you've made entirely with your own hands with just water, soap and a bit of rubbing.
Thursday 26th November
6.30pm-8.30pm
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)
Come along for an evening to make a Christmas present by naturally dyeing a choice of a cushion cover, napkins, scarf, t-towel or a tote bag made from organic cotton. You’ll be able to choose what colour to use to naturally dye your present, create a pattern and if you’d like to, combine colours. There will be dye vats of madder (red), weld (yellow), logwood (deep purple) and indigo.
Indicate in the form what you’d like to dye for your Christmas present (choose one).
Then make your own Christmas wrapping materials. You can block print some wrapping paper with tags or naturally dye a drawstring bag that can be re-used year after year.
Thursday 26th November
6.30pm-8.30pm
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
Come along for an evening to make your own Christmas wrapping materials. You can block print some wrapping paper with tags and naturally dye a drawstring bag that can be re-used year after year.
Thursday evenings
6.30pm-8.30pm
February 25th & March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BB
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)
The colours for our fabrics came mainly from plants until synthetic dyes were developed in the late 19th century. This introductory course offers the chance to learn how to use plants to create colours to dye cotton and silk. Through the five sessions you’ll learn about the history of dyes, techniques for dyeing, plants to use, how to combine colours, using flowers and leaves for ecoprinting and using indigo, a traditional blue dye.
Session 1: an introduction to the history of dyeing fibre, preparing your fibres and mordanting
Session 2: dyeing with traditional plant materials to create a range of different colours
Session 3: dyes you can forage for – an evening of experimentation with different foraged plants
Session 4: using leaves for ecoprinting
Session 5: dyeing with indigo to produce blues
This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.
What you will need:rubber gloves and an apron
What you will take away: squares of dyed cotton and silk • handouts
No experience necessary
Thursday evenings • 6.30pm-8.30pm
February 25th & March 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BB
The colours for our fabrics came mainly from plants until synthetic dyes were developed in the late 19th century. This introductory course offers the chance to learn how to use plants to create colours to dye cotton and silk.
Thursday evenings (5 weeks)
6.30pm-8.30pm
January 14th, 21st, 28th & February 4rd, 11th 2027
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
(closest transport: Gospel Oak (overground), Kentish Town (Northern line and Thameslink)
Learn how to spin and naturally dye your own wool for knitting, crocheting and other crafts. This course will introduce you to the ancient tradition of hand-spinning with a drop-spindle, a relaxing and meditative skill using minimal technology.
You’ll learn how to ply your wool, create skeins and then mordant and naturally dye your yarn using cololurs from plants.
The course is taking place at Kentish Town City Farm where you’ll meet the rare-breed Jacob’s sheep and learn how to wash their raw wool, card and then spin it.
Timetable:
Week 1: Meet the Jacob’s sheep at the farm and learn how to process and wash their raw wool. Start spinning with a drop spindle.
Week 2: Learn about carding the washed wool and continue spinning with a drop spindle.
Week 3: Learn about plying the wool you have spun and creating a skein.
Week 4: Learn about mordanting your wool in preparation for dyeing with plant dyes
Week 5: Learn about dyeing your wool with plant dyes
This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.
What you will need: a drop spindle (week 1), rubber gloves and an apron (for weeks 4&5)
Drop spindles available here: https://www.georgeweil.com/spinning-wheels-accessories/hand-spindles/louet-top-whorl-spindle/
What you will take away: skein of dyed wool that you have spun
No experience necessary.
Positive comments on my style of teaching:
“Very good – super relaxed and friendly while being full of info” – Maz
“Great hands-on learning” – Betty
“Relaxed, informative. Very knowledgeable” – Yvonne
“ Very knowledgeable, always willing to answer questions and very generous with time and materials.” – Sophie
Thursday evenings (5 weeks) Jan 14th, 21st, 28th & Feb 4th, 11th 2027
6.30pm-8.30pm
Kentish Town City Farm, NW5 4BN
Learn how to spin and naturally dye your own wool for knitting, crocheting and other crafts. This course will introduce you to the ancient tradition of hand-spinning with a drop-spindle, a relaxing and meditative skill using minimal technology.
BERKHAMSTED COURSES
Tuesday evenings (5 weeks)
6.30pm-8.30pm
January 26th, February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd 2027
The Court House, Church Ln, Berkhamsted HP4 2AX
(Closest transport: Berkhamsted train station. Free parking available on site)
Learn how to spin and naturally dye your own wool for knitting, crocheting and other crafts. This course will introduce you to the ancient tradition of hand-spinning with a drop-spindle, a relaxing and meditative skill using minimal technology.
You’ll learn how to ply your wool, create skeins and then mordant and naturally dye your yarn using cololurs from plants.
The course is taking place at The Court House, a 16th century building in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.
Timetable:
Week 1: Learn how to process and wash raw wool. Start spinning with a drop spindle.
Week 2: Learn about carding the washed wool and continue spinning with a drop spindle.
Week 3: Learn about plying the wool you have spun and creating a skein.
Week 4: Learn about mordanting your wool in preparation for dyeing with plant dyes
Week 5: Learn about dyeing your wool with plant dyes
This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.
What you will need: a drop spindle, rubber gloves and an apron
Drop spindles available here: https://www.georgeweil.com/spinning-wheels-accessories/hand-spindles/louet-top-whorl-spindle/
What you will take away: skein of dyed wool that you have spun
No experience necessary.
Feedback from previous courses:
“Very good – super relaxed and friendly while being full of info” – Maz
“Great hands-on learning” – Betty
“Relaxed, informative. Very knowledgeable” – Yvonne
“ Very knowledgeable, always willing to answer questions and very generous with time and materials.” – Sophie
Tuesday evenings • 6.30pm-8.30pm
Jan 26th, Feb 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd 2027
The Court House, Berkhamsted HP4 2AX
Learn how to spin and naturally dye your own wool for knitting, crocheting and other crafts. This course will introduce you to the ancient tradition of hand-spinning with a drop-spindle, a relaxing and meditative skill using minimal technology.
Tuesday evenings
6.30pm-8.30pm
May 18th, 25th June 1st, 8th, 15th 2027
The Court House, Church Ln, Berkhamsted HP4 2AX
(Closest transport: Berkhamsted train station. Free parking available on site)
The colours for our fabrics came mainly from plants until synthetic dyes were developed in the late 19th century. This introductory course offers the chance to learn how to use plants to create colours to dye cotton and silk. Through the five sessions you’ll learn about the history of dyes, techniques for dyeing, plants to use, how to combine colours and using flowers and leaves for ecoprinting and dyeing with indigo to produce blues.
Session 1: an introduction to the history of dyeing fibre, preparing your fibres and mordanting
Session 2: dyeing with traditional plant materials to create a range of different colours: red from madder, yellow from weld and deep blue/purple from logwood
Session 3: dyes you can forage for – an evening of experimentation with different foraged plants
Session 4: using flowers and leaves for ecoprinting
Session 5: dyeing with indigo to produce blues
This is a participatory, hands-on course where you’ll have a chance to learn by doing in a collaborative, fun atmosphere.
What you will need: rubber gloves and an apron
What you will take away: squares of dyed cotton and silk • handouts
No experience necessary
Tuesday evenings • 6.30pm-8.30pm
May 18th, 25th June 1st, 8th, 15th 2027
The Court House, Berkhamsted HP4 2AX
The colours for our fabrics came mainly from plants until synthetic dyes were developed in the late 19th century. This introductory course offers the chance to learn how to use plants to create colours to dye cotton and silk.
ABERGAVENNY COURSES
Learn more
What is ecoprinting?
Previous workshops and courses
Wool skills course in London April-May 2026
Feedback
“I liked Susannah’s teaching style. She is very good at both ‘showing’ and ‘telling’, ie she does both, in a way that together with repetition, means you remember what she teaches. Highly recommend!” – Arlene
“I learned exactly what I expected to and expectations were exceeded with the style and warmth of the teaching format. Quickly felt empowered to continue independently” – Olivia
Introduction to Natural Dyeing in Berkhamsted June 2026
Feedback
“Excellent introduction to the world of natural dyeing and eco-printing. Very relaxed, informative – Susannah made the topic very accessible.” – Grainne
“A good mix of practical and explanatory material. Rooted in experience and knowledge. Very enjoyable. Practical and sociable experience.” – Amanda
Very good. Calm, relaxed with lots of humour, Thank you so much. It was an absolute pleasure. – Tasja
This silk scarf has been dyed with madder, a traditional plant dye that uses roots from the madder plant (Rubia tinctorum). It is a beautiful red colour
The size of the scarf is 114cm x 28cm.
This silk scarf has been dyed with woad, a traditional plant dye that uses the leaves of the Woad plant (Isatis tinctoria).
The size of the scarf is 114cm x 28cm.
This silk scarf has been dip-dyed with madder and buddleja. Madder is the traditional red dye and buddleja’s purple flowers give a surprising yellow.
The size of the scarf is 114cm x 28cm.
