Sustainability courses

Our curriculum is thoughtfully crafted to address different aspects of sustainability, from eco-friendly textiles and natural dyeing techniques to sustainable fashion design and garment alterations. These courses provide practical, hands-on experience and foster a deeper understanding of sustainable methods in everyday practices.

Natural Dye and Sustainable Print Summer 3 June 2025 to 1 July 2025

Research seasonal natural dyeing on sustainable fabrics. Explore contemporary natural dye practice locally and globally with links to ritual, medicine and folklore. Utilise plants from the Morley dye garden. Develop with support an individual project to showcase your design development.

Printed Textiles 24 April 2025 to 3 July 2025

An opportunity to develop a skills base, exploring a range of silk screen print techniques as well as cold and hot water dyeing, heat transfer, painted and resist methods. Equal emphasis is placed on a broad and open approach to design development. All processes are underpinned by an awareness of the environmental impact of working with cloth, chemicals, energy and water. New students with printing experience are welcome in spring and summer terms but, as the course is progressive, beginners in September are encouraged to commit to all three terms of the academic year.

Natural Dye and Sustainable Print Spring 22 April 2025 to 20 May 2025

Grow and identify dye plants and utilise the Morley dye garden. Experiment with seasonal plant dyeing, contact printing, solar dyeing and eco printing. Create and test natural dye mordants on a variety of fabrics. Plan a dye garden design. Develop a beautiful book of samples and recipes.

Printed Textiles 16 January 2025 to 3 April 2025

An opportunity to develop a skills base, exploring a range of silk screen print techniques as well as cold and hot water dyeing, heat transfer, painted and resist methods. Equal emphasis is placed on a broad and open approach to design development. All processes are underpinned by an awareness of the environmental impact of working with cloth, chemicals, energy and water. New students with printing experience are welcome in spring and summer terms but, as the course is progressive, beginners in September are encouraged to commit to all three terms of the academic year.

Natural Dye and Sustainable Print Winter 14 January 2025 to 11 February 2025

Create a natural dye palette using plant extracts and seasonal foraging. Print with natural dye extracts and print discharge methods to remove colour and create a pattern. Experiment with a range of pattern and mark-making techniques on various fabrics. Explore current thinking around issues of sustainability in textiles.

Natural Dye and Sustainable Print Autumn 5 November 2024 to 3 December 2024 

Learn to extract colour from roots, leaves, bark, flowers and berries. Practice how to make mordants for different fabric types and how to extend a colour palette using them as modifiers. Create a bespoke record book of harmonious colours from nature. Harvest plants from the Morley dye garden. Review natural dyeing, past and present through active learning, fabric samples, presentations, books, and digital resources. This course can be taken individually or sign up for each term: Seasonal Natural Dyeing : Winter, Spring and Summer to take you through the year.

Fashion Design for Sustainability 4 November 2024 to 9 December 2024

Love Fashion? Want to be a Fashion Designer? This is the perfect place for you to further develop your fashion sense and explore the techniques used in fashion design at an intermediate level. This course will benefit you whether you are in further or higher education, hoping to work as a designer, running your own business or if you simply want to learn how to create Fashion design sketches for fun. You will learn how to research and develop design ideas, draw inspiration from a range of influences and use a wide variety of materials and media. Explore the use of shape, colour, texture and proportion. Design Menswear, Womenswear or gender neutral clothing: the choice is yours. Learn about the world of the fashion designer, the design process and the basic stages and learn to design your own small themed capsule collection. The course focuses on the 2-Dimensional creative stages: developing fashion ideas from research using sketch books, mood boards, design boards and design sketches.

Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Recycle, Reuse and Repurpose 7 October 2024 to 2 December 2024

This short course aims to introduce participants to innovative ways of creating fashion textiles using repurposed and upcycled materials. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exercises, participants will explore sustainable textile techniques, develop creative design solutions, and learn how to transform discarded materials into unique fashion textiles. This course is suitable for individuals interested in sustainable fashion, textile arts, and creative reuse.

Fashion Alterations – hemming, fitting and adjustment 7 October 2024 to 2 December 2024

The course is designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to achieve professional hemming, fitting, and adjustments in garment construction. Participants will learn various hemming techniques, understand fitting principles, and master the art of making precise alterations to achieve the perfect fit. This course is suitable for individuals interested in garment sewing and alterations

Sustainable Clothes Making 20 September 2024 to 6 December 2024

Learn about one of the most sustainable ways of making garments in this exploration of Zero Waste Garment Making. Zero Waste has come to the fore in recent years as one of the most exciting new developments in the fashion field as a part of global sustainability initiatives in response to the climate crisis. Both reviving old methodologies and inventing new ones to suit current tastes are part of this movement to help reduce the impact of clothing on the planet. This course gives a deeper understanding of the specific methods needed to work in this way and how cloth usage and design interact in a different way where zero waste leads design and design follows the cloth. Individual projects will be agreed on with the tutor in accordance with your skill level.

Printed Textiles 19 September 2024 to 12 December 2024

An opportunity to develop a skills base, exploring a range of silk screen print techniques as well as cold and hot water dyeing, heat transfer, painted and resist methods. Equal emphasis is placed on a broad and open approach to design development. All processes are underpinned by an awareness of the environmental impact of working with cloth, chemicals, energy and water. New students with printing experience are welcome in spring and summer terms but, as the course is progressive, beginners in September are encouraged to commit to all three terms of the academic year.