Upcoming Classes
Shaped Resist Dyeing with Ecology in Mind
10 - 14 June 2019
Botanical Colors, Seattle, WA
Shaped-resist dyeing is an elemental textile art that is thousands of years old. In Japan it’s known as shibori, but it has been made worldwide for almost as long as dyes have been applied to textiles. While applying pressure to shaped fabrics before and during dyeing, we can create exquisite patterns of infinite variety on natural fiber textiles. Working with organic dye extracts allows for the creation of a nuanced and rich color palette. The class will focus on 10 patterns generated through hand stitching, wrapping and bundling. Silk and wool samples produced in class will be dyed in baths we make from extracts of madder root, coreopsis, weld, cochineal, and other sustainably, organically raised extracts to create patterns of timeless subtlety. We’ll safely coax our colors onto cloth using classic alum recipes and Symplocos racemosa (a tropical "bio-accumulator" of alum from the earth) as our mordants. This class is for beginners and beyond. For those with prior experience, feel free to bring images of your work (or actual pieces) if you’d like to engage in dialogue about possible directions your work might take. Please note that this is a forum for making samples; it will not be possible to dye large yardages in this setting.
Please contact Kathy Hattori for details: