WORKSHOPS
Through teaching, Elin shares her knowledge from decades of working with dyes. Her main teaching focus is on the “how and why” dyes work. In essence, she teaches students how to “think like a dye”.
To learn about upcoming workshops, go to the Calendar page.
If you are interested in scheduling a workshop or lecture, please contact Elin.
Subtractions and Additions
3-5 days, intermediate to advanced
In this class we will explore what happens when color is repeatedly added and removed through sequential itajime shibori steps. Itajime shibori, or clamp-resist dyeing, is based on wooden boards held on either side of accordion folded cloth before the cloth is dyed. This class is an in-depth exploration of how the different folds, and the location, shape, and size of the boards, influence the overall pattern. At least fifteen different folds will be demonstrated. We will use Procion MX fiber reactive dyes on cellulose cloth (cotton, rayon, Tencel, hemp, and linen) and acid dyes on silk, and we will selectively remove color using Thiox. True magic happens when color is removed and another color is put in its place. The end result will be cloth filled with luminosity, displaying sophisticated color nuances, as well as visual complexity.
Natural Dyes: Hand-Painting a Color Library
3-5 days, all levels
In this three-day workshop we will create a color library by directly applying mordants and natural dyes. The color library will be created using three mordants, alum, iron, and titanium, and twelve different dyes. The color library will become a reference library for future projects.
Prior to dyeing we will apply mordants with brushes, set the mordants, paint the cloth with thickened natural dye extracts, and steam set the colors. The class will cover proper fiber preparation and successful steaming.
Natural Dyes: Developing a Personal Language
3-5 days, all levels
Learn to paint and print with natural dyes. This workshop will concentrate on the direct application of mordants and natural dyes using various tools and techniques, including mono printing, stamping, and hand painting. Emphasis will be on developing unique color combinations and expressive personal marks. Prior to dyeing we will apply mordants using shibori, hand painting, and printing techniques. We will also discharge and over print with mordants in order to build complex patterns and layered surfaces. After that we will dye a range of colors on the mordanted cloth using direct application and/or dye baths with plant extracts.
Indigo Discharge: Blue, Brown, and White
3-5 days, all levels
We will engage indigo dye from two vantage points. We will begin by applying indigo on cellulose cloth (cotton, linen, hemp, ramie). After that we will selectively remove indigo through a series of resist techniques.
We begin with making an indigo vat and dyeing cloth, creating a variety of blue hues. We will use paste and clay resists in addition to stitched, wrapped, and clamped resists. We will create a variety of imagery, focusing on blue on brown, blue on white, white on blue, brown on blue, or a combination of all of these.
We will remove the indigo dye using potassium permanganate, which first leaves the background color in varying shades of brown. Further processing removes the brown, leaving the background color white with an indigo blue pattern.
We will cover how to maintain an indigo vat as well as safe and effective methods for using the discharge products.
Alternative Marbling
3-5 days, all levels
Experience the “oh wow” moments when the paint attaches to the cloth, freezing exotic imagery that is reminiscent of microscopic views of cells, geological forms, and cosmic observations. This class offers a fresh approach to the age-old tradition of floating paint on water and transferring the image to paper or cloth.
We will focus on the principles of surface tension and how to float color, color mixing, and many pattern manipulation techniques. We will also cover, color mixing, paints, fabric and paper selections, and preparation, simple, inexpensive and effective set-up, tricks and some time saving ways to do larger projects You don’t want to miss this engaging, fun, and satisfying experience.
Vat Dyes and Colored Discharge: In the Bath
3-5 days, intermediate to advanced
This hands-on workshop focuses on the magic inherent in a little used class of dyes known as vat dyes. The process begins with laying a ground color on the cloth with reactive dyes - cotton, linen, rayon - then work pattern and color through resists on top of the ground color with vat dyes. The interaction of these two dyes produce the characteristic halo as you strip out one color (the reactive dye) while laying down another color (the vat dye) in its place. Explore this exciting phenomenon through dye bath applications. Safety issues are addressed, as are color mixing, and fabric selection and preparation.
Vat Dyes and Colored Discharge: Print Processes
3-5 days, intermediate to advanced
This hands-on workshop focuses on the magic inherent in a little used class of dyes known as vat dyes. The process begins with laying a ground color on the cloth with reactive dyes - cotton, linen, rayon - then work pattern and color through printing and painting with vat dyes. After steaming, the interaction of these two dyes produce the characteristic halo as you strip out one color (the reactive dye) while laying down another color (the vat dye) in its place. Explore this exciting phenomenon through hand applications. Safety issues are addressed, as are color mixing, and fabric selection and preparation.
"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible."
—Oscar Wilde