CMS Meeting Featured Presentation Wednesday, January 27: Using Locally Foraged Mushrooms to Dye Wool and Silk

Published January 10, 2016 · Updated September 28, 2016

For our first meeting of 2016, Cheshire Mayrsohn will be giving a “show and tell” presentation on using locally foraged mushrooms to dye wool and silk. Mushroom dyeing is a relatively new craft, invented in the 1970’s by California fiber artist, Miriam Rice. Since then it has grown into an international art with Mushroom dyeing conferences and workshops held all over the world.

Cheshire will tour us through examples of her work while revealing which species of mushrooms are best for dyeing and the colors they produce. She will then give us a hands on demonstration of natural dye basics.

Cheshire launched into exploring lichens, mushrooms, and plants as a natural source for dyeing fibers in 2005 after receiving numerous questions on the subject while staffing the lichen display at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum Mushroom Festival. After 10 years of learning, experimenting, and attending dye workshops, Cheshire is now considered to be an expert and is often invited to give classes and demonstrations.

About the Speaker: Cheshire Mayrsohn is a Botanist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) , a founding member of the Cascade Mycological Society, and the current President of CMS. She is also active in the Northwest Lichenologists organization. Cheshire has been foraging for edible plants and mushrooms since the 1970s and enjoys knitting her mushroom dyed yarns into hats and scarves. Ms. Mayrsohn has given classes on dyeing with mushrooms and lichens at numerous mycological events and currently gives classes at the Eugene Textile Center. Her next class there is in April 2016.

The talk is free and open to the public. There will be a mushroom identification session prior to the speaker. Bring what’s in your basket, edible or not, and learn from the experienced members of our community.