Surface Design Intensive
Length: Minimum 5 days, depending on topics to be covered
In addition to learning to immersion dye in gradated sequences and in low-water dye baths, students will explore shibori resist techniques and overdyeing. Learning how to
thicken the dyes will allow us to paint, stamp, print, and silk screen to produce patterned yardage. We will use these same application techniques with discharge paste to remove some dye and add complexity to our surface designs. Students will leave with unique and useable yardage and with the knowledge and confidence to dye what they need in the future.
Coloring Outside the Lines: Fiber Reactive Dyes 101
Length: 2-3 days
Play with color in the dye bath and have the rainbow at your fingertips. This introduction to dyeing with fiber reactive dyes will include both hands-on low-water immersion dyeing experience and insight into the chemical processes at work, opening up a world of possibilities and expanding your color confidence and palette.
Paint, Stamp and Print: Working with Thickened Dyes
Length: 2-5 days
Thickened dyes can be used in a painterly manner to apply surface design to fabric. We will paint, stamp, print, silk screen, and roll thickened fiber reactive dyes onto fabric, building up unique patterned surfaces.
Simply Silkscreen
Length: 2-3 days
Silk screening is a satisfying way to produce fabric with repeat designs. In this class, you will learn to make strong graphic images with incredibly simple tools such as masking tape, newspaper, freezer paper, and inexpensive, pre-assembled silk screens. Students in will develop their own designs and experiment with applying them to fabric with media as diverse as thickened dyes, foil adhesive, and discharge paste.
Fold, Gather, Clamp, and Wrap: Shibori Basics
Length: 2-5 days
Surface design isn't just about where the dye goes, but where you keep it from going. Explore resists involving fabric manipulation in this class. We'll fold yardage, clamp it, tie it, sew it, and wrap it onto poles to prepare it for dyeing or overdyeing.
Liquid Resists
Length: 3-5 days
Resist solutions allow you to produce patterned yardage by controlling where the dye doesn't go. Learn how to use water-soluble resists to achieve the crackled effect only potato dextrin can give and the smooth coverage available with corn dextrin and commercial solutions. The use of thickened dyes is also covered in this workshop.
Vanishing Acts: Discharging Dye
Length: 2-5 days
Safe discharge chemicals can be used in solution or as a paste to selectively remove or transform areas of color from dyed yardage.
Students will learn the basics of safe discharge techniques and quickly begin to employ techniques we use for applying thickened dye (silkscreening, painting, stamping) and for readying fabric for resists (fabric manipulation, liquid resists) with the discharge process.
