Classes
Contact me for information about costs and facilities required, and we can discuss your specific needs so the class can fit you or your group.
Introduction to Katazome - Japanese Stencil Dyeing
Options: With or without Indigo Dyeing
Timeframe: Two days or longer
Japanese fabrics have been made for centuries using intricate paper stencils and a resist paste made of rice flour. Authentic Japanese fabrics using this technique are very expensive and almost unattainable in this country. You will learn how to make these lovely fabrics yourselves, dyeing them with indigo and/or colored dyes.
First we will carve stencils from Japanese paper, and apply silk mesh to strengthen them. Then we will learn to make the resist paste. We will use these stencils as well as some of my stencils to apply paste to fabric.
I will teach you how to use a variety of traditional pigments, dyes, and textile paints to produce multicolored images on cotton or silk or linen.
I have posted pictures of one of these classes on my blog, and one of my students has posted pictures and comments about her experience.
Advanced Stencil Carving
Timeframe: This class is best done as four half-day sessions with time in-between.
The first class will be spent choosing images and starting to carve. The last class will be spent applying the silk mesh to your stencils. I will supply a full sheet of stencil paper, which makes the equivalent of four 11 x 17 stencils. Any image is fine; abstract, folk images from various cultures, traditional Japanese patterns, etc. I have a huge library of copyright-free designs to choose from.
Indigo Dyeing with Resists
Timeframe: Two days
Indigo requires some kind of resist, whether mechanical as in shibori, or chemical as in paste or wax resist. We will explore the various ways of producing patterned fabric with stitched and wrapped shibori as well as applying rice paste with paper stencils (katazome).
The first day we will concentrate on nui shibori, the traditional stitched patterns.
The second day we will set up an indigo vat and dye the fabric we have prepared.