Mel Sweetnam is a professional fibre artist and natural dye educator with over thirty years of natural dye experience. In addition to her life-long passion for natural dyes, and fibre arts in general, Mel spent over twenty years developing public science policy for a range of governments and non-governmental organizations in Canada and overseas. Drawing on her post-secondary science education, and her previous career supporting evidence-based research, these courses are grounded in facts – not myths – about what works, and why. Mel is adept at making the basic natural chemistry of dye materials and processes accessible and fun, and teaches you how to discern accurate information on natural dye methods from widespread online misinformation. Mel is the admin of the global Natural Dye Education Facebook Group.

She combines over 30 years of natural dye study and practice with a postsecondary education in science, and previous career in public science policy management, to teach the most comprehensive natural dye education available online – historically accurate, evidence-based, research focused, riotously colourful and fun, and always prioritizing your health and the health of our planet’s precious ecology.

She’s a juried member of the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design. I’m also a member of the Guild of Canadian Weavers. My work has been in gallery exhibits in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and featured in newspaper and magazine articles, and in the book With These Hands.