Description
Join us at the Gardens for an inspiring exploration of natural dyes and pattern-making with renowned textile artist Elin Noble. Drawing on her deep knowledge of mordants and dyes, Elin will guide you through approachable techniques for creating richly layered, one-of-a-kind textiles.
Working with natural cellulose or silk fabric of your choice, you’ll begin by painting or printing with a variety of mordants to establish your designs. On the second day, you’ll dye your prepared cloth in a range of beautiful colors, watching your patterns come to life.
Your finished samples can later be incorporated into projects such as bojagi, quilts, or zipper pouches—though the primary focus is on expanding your creative toolkit and exploring the many possibilities of surface design.
This workshop emphasizes the direct application of mordants on both cellulose fibers and silk through techniques like painting, printing, discharging, and overprinting. By working with three different mordants and thoughtfully controlling their placement and combinations, you’ll achieve complex, nuanced color and pattern effects.
The process invites both expressive mark-making and precise detail using tools such as brushes, stamps, monoprinting methods, and screen printing.
After the mordants are set, on day two we will dye the prepared cloth, revealing a striking range of colors and values.
With Elin’s guidance, you’ll avoid common pitfalls and gain confidence in your practice while learning from one of the field’s most respected artists.
What you need to bring to class: (please put your name on your supplies)
- Scissors to cut or snip fabric
- Roll of masking tape (partial roll is fine – any width)
- Selection of paint brushes – bristle and/or foam in various sizes
- Easy to transport tools you use in your studio practice to make marks on
- cloth
- Rubber gloves (household gloves that are at least 10-12cm above your wrist, such as Casabella) that withstand hot water
- A pair of light weight insulating gloves (if you have some)
- A few pair of close fitting disposable gloves
- Apron
- Notebook/writing tool to take notes
- Cloth: Most of the work will be small in scale in order to explore ideas.The cloth needs to be 100% natural: cellulose (plant fiber) or silk. No polyester or acrylic, or natural cloth treated with permanent press or protective finishes. Bring silk, bamboo, rayon, cotton, linen, hemp, or any blend of these. Wool is not as successful for these printing processes and should be avoided.
Note: Your fabrics will need to be prepared prior to coming to class. Click here to find a printable PDF with the supply list and instructions.
