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.”
A group-directed itinerary of explorations into the expansive world of natural dyes. This term’s project will be a “cumulative” cloth: we’ll mordant, dye, and print both fabric and thread to layer and stitch a cloth with additive techniques. Reference Susan Brandeis’ book The Cumulative Cloth.
This course is a self-directed and continuous study group; while we build upon previous experience, adventurous beginners are always welcome!
Learn to make a variety of personal natural indigo vats without worrying about toxicity or cost of heavy chemicals! These vats use a natural chemical reduction process to produce a quick, reliable, long-lasting indigo blue. I’ll provide a brief overview of indigo’s historical highlights and chemical quirks, and guide you through making a natural reduction vat. We’ll explore simple resist techniques to produce pattern on fabric and thread. Finally, we’ll cover care and maintenance of the vats and give you the option to take one home.
This is a chance to do some personal mending with advice and assistance. Spend a relaxing day with needle and thread, a cup of coffee or tea, and like-minded individuals while getting your wardrobe ready for the cooler days to come. Bring your personal items in need of repair: holey socks, worn elbows, thin knees, motheaten sweaters. I’ll have a variety of wool, flannel, woven, and knit scraps to choose from; you have the option of bringing yarns or pieces of fabric to match your garment. I am happy to advise on a variety of mending techniques: applique, sashiko, reweaving, visible or discreet repairs.
Slow stitching, the meditative art of hand sewing, is a chance to relax and enjoy the rhythmic dance of needle and thread as we construct a charming needle keeper using new and vintage fabrics, basic stitching, and simple shapes. We’ll enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a treat or two, and the company of like-minded souls.
Let’s continue the pollinator series with a hummingbird motif. Using a vintage handkerchief as the base and a variety of applique and surface embroidery, we’ll make a pieced and stitched image of a hummingbird suitable for a wall hanging or addition to other surfaces such as bags or garments.
A group-directed itinerary of explorations into the expansive world of natural dyes. This term’s project will be a “cumulative” cloth: we’ll mordant, dye, and print both fabric and thread to layer and stitch a cloth with additive techniques. Reference Susan Brandeis’ book The Cumulative Cloth.
This course is a self-directed and continuous study group; while we build upon previous experience, adventurous beginners are always welcome!
An introduction to various piecing techniques from around the world. We’ll have two days to explore four different piecing methods: English paper piecing, log cabin, pojagi, and applique. Choose to use coordinating fabrics for a larger table mat or individualize them for completely different looks.
