A textile artisan specializing in natural dyes and couture sewing, I draw inspiration from the rhythm of life on my small farm, following the cycles of the seasons to shear my sheep, plant my garden, and dye my fabrics.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
Perfect for light cover indoors or as a jacket in warmer weather, a happi is a versatile and stylish addition to your wardrobe. In Japan, happi are loose-fitting casual cotton jackets often worn at festivals or to identify members of a group. They are also popular among Portland Japanese Garden staff and volunteers! In this final workshop of the series, students will learn to sew a fashionable modern version of a happi, with a variety of fabrics and basic sleeve options to further personalize your jacket.
A group-directed itinerary of explorations into the expansive world of natural dyes. This course is a self-directed and continuous study group; while we build upon previous experience, adventurous beginners are always welcome!
Don’t believe the hype! Natural dyes can provide brilliant and fast color to rival their modern-day competitors, and under much safer conditions for both the dyer and the earth. I’ll teach you how to use natural dyes to achieve a range of colors from your home dye pot. I’ll cover a bit of history and explain how natural dyes differ from their synthetic counterparts. We’ll talk about common mistakes beginning dyers encounter, and learn how to control your results. We’ll use different mordants for light and color-fastness, and explore different natural fibers to obtain maximum color variations from a single dye plant. Finally, we’ll experiment with overdyeing and variegated dyeing to give you plenty of avenues for later exploration at home.
Natural dyes can provide brilliant and fast color to rival their modern-day competitors, and under much safer conditions for both the dyer and the earth. Learn how to achieve a range of colors with a variety of fabrics, mordant combinations, and overdyeing. Preserve the experience with a hand-stitched sampler!
These hand quilting styles both originate in India but vary in style and technique. Let’s explore the similarities and differences by making small samplers of each.
A group-directed itinerary of explorations into the expansive world of natural dyes. This course is a self-directed and continuous study group; while we build upon previous experience, adventurous beginners are always welcome!
