Learn how to create a small textile work using natural materials dyed with plants. Dora will demonstrate a variety of embroidery techniques and share tips on combining colours, textures and materials. Working at your own pace, you will be guided by your intuition and the subtle beauty of natural colour to craft your own miniature piece of textile art.

All materials will be provided by Dora, including eco-printed fabrics made from local plants, fabrics with a colour gradient, wool and silk threads and wooden beads for added decoration.

No previous experience is necessary. Whether you are new to embroidery or looking to build on your existing skills, Dora will support you every step of the way.

You will take home your own piece of embroidery.

This craft is rooted in working with natural fibers, threads and plants. Nature is the greatest source of inspiration – its shifting cycles, hidden processes, and interconnections. Using locally foraged and home-grown plants, botanical dyes are extracted to create a subtle, harmonious palette on wool, linen, cotton and silk.

Through eco-printing with fresh leaves and flowers, delicate, often unexpected impressions are captured on fabric. These dyed and printed materials become the foundation for slow, intuitive textile work. They are shaped and layered with thread, structure and detail, often incorporating natural elements such as dried plants, beads or beeswax. By using techniques such as embroidery, weaving, knitting and pleating, there is profound connection with the communal traditions of textile-making, rooted in culture and collective memory. Each piece evolves slowly, stitch by stitch, inviting mindfulness and reflection.

Dora Tiho (Dora Cichocka) is a modern craftsperson working with plant dyes, fabrics and thread. She grew up in Upper Silesia, an industrial region in southern Poland, in a family of engineers. Regular trips to the nearby countryside and mountains – where her grandparents lived – introduced her to traditional crafts and the artistry of handmade work. Her two grandmothers – one a seamstress and lace maker, the other a self-taught painter – deeply influenced her creative path. Their skills and creativity fostered in her a lifelong appreciation for the workof human hands and the belief that making is a way of life. Today, Dora’s practice is rooted in botanical colour and textile traditions, seeking a slow, intimate dialogue with nature and culture. She has lived and worked in Amsterdam since 2007, bridging her Polish heritage with contemporary craft.

Practical information

• Language: English
• Price includes all materials and VAT