Class meets 2 days. Saturday & Sunday 10am-4pm each day.

Register for class here.

In this class we will use shapes, patterns, and colors as a way to explore the surface design possibilities for fabric and paper. Techniques will include fabric painting, stencil printing, use of natural dyes and earth pigments, embroidery and mending stitches, and incorporating paper, words and objects. At the end of our surface design explorations we will gather our pages and make them into books using structures that work well with fabric including side-sewn, accordion, and pamphlet books. The result will be hand stitched sampler books that are rich and layered, and will reflect your own hand and mark making style. These can be referred to when moving forward with your future book, paper, and textile adventures.

Student tools:

• Exacto knife

• Fabric scissors and/or rotary cutter

• Needles

• Fabric pins

• Cutting mat

• Straight edge ruler or quilting ruler

• Marking making tools: pens and pencils

  
  Student materials
  

• Fabric for pages - solid and light in color, medium weight, cotton or linen. Fabric recommendations:

  • Cut up denim jeans

  • Robert Kaufman Essex cotton/linen

  • Deconstructed clothing

  • Reuse and repurposing encouraged!

  • Pre-cutting some fabric is recommended (page sizes will be 4 x 6, or 5 x 7
    

• Threads - bring a variety: machine thread, sashiko, embroidery (instructor will also have some on hand)

• Fabric scraps to add layering to pages

• Found papers: book pages, music scores, old letters, maps, etc.
  
  Instructor will bring:
  

• Fabric paint

• Watercolors 

• Brushes

• Surfaces for painting (plexiglass)

• Earth pigment (+mortar/pestle, sifter)

• Soy milk

• Acorns for natural dyeing (hammer, old towel, pots, hotplates), and black tea

• File folders for stencils

• Stencil brushes

• Ink pads for stenciling

• Clothespins

• Blue tape

• Scrap paper

Instructor Jody Alexander: