Workshops are held at my house in Byron Center, Michigan. Each workshop is limited to 4 students. Contact me and suggest days of the week/weekend that work for you. Each workshop is two days and $200, plus materials, unless otherwise noted. Look forward to hearing from you!
Surface Design on Fabric
Explore the world of surface design techniques through guided demonstrations and your own experiments with textile paint on any type of textile. Flour paste resists, a unique and easy airbrush technique and use of all of my handmade stamps and stencils give students time and opportunity to experiment. A supply list will be sent upon paid registration. Two days. $200 plus $15 for materials.
Monoprinting
Using a plexiglass plate and textile paint to explore surface design techniques, students experiment with an unending process to create exciting patterns both amorphous and detailed. These printed fabrics are wonderful for quilting, embroidery, dollmaking and more. A supply list will be sent upon paid registration. One day. $100 plus $5 for materials.
Making Your Own Stamps and Stencils
Your own handmade stamps, stencils and rubbing plates give you the most exciting patterning. We’ll use rubber insulation foam, polystyrene plates and many other unusual but easily available items. These produce patterning that’s personal and never seen before in commercial products. Students will use textile paints to sample each of their stamps and stencils. Two days. Supply list sent upon paid registration. $200 plus $20 for materials.
Contemporary Embroidery: From Surface Design to the Stitched Mark
For those with an adventuresome spirit but looking to work in a slower, more contemplative textile method, students will use textile paints to print and paint fabric with images of their own design during the first morning. These images will create pattern, areas of color, or designs that inspire students to put hand stitching onto the fabric —anything goes! During the afternoon and the next two days, the “stitched mark” or one’s own personal stitch vocabulary, will be discussed and used on fabric to create rhythm, movement, and visual and physical texture. This workshop will strive to have students look at stitching on fabric, not as decorative, but as an expression of themselves—pulling something new and different from inside onto the cloth. Jennifer will have many samples of her own embroidered pieces, images of contemporary embroiderers’ work from around the world, and books on hand. Two days. Supply list sent upon paid registration. $200 plus $20 materials fee.
Dyeing for Blue: Indigo with Shibori Techniques
The seemingly mysterious dye, INDIGO, used throughout the world but famous for its special development in Japan, dyes BLUE —- from light to darkest of navy. When combined with the Japanese technique of SHIBORI (stitch and bound resists), the two create delightful patterning on natural fabrics (cotton, linen, rayon, silk, wool). Further combined with already colored fabric, multiple colors can be achieved. Students will have their own indigo pot, learn about the history and use of indigo around the world while stitching their fabric, and develop a basic library of stitches in order to design pieces using shibori. Fabric, yarn, and small pieces of clothing (shirts/blouses, thin fabric dresses, small jackets, scarves) can be dyed. A complete supply list will be sent upon registration. Two days. $200 plus $12 for materials.
Disperse Dyes: Printing/Painting on Synthetic Fabric
Disperse dyes are used on any synthetic fabric such as polyester and acetate muslin. The transfer prints made with the dyes create fascinating patterning which can be layered for multiple color overlays especially on sheer fabric. We’ll cover exciting possibilities such as basic painting techniques to make transfer prints, manipulating fabric and steaming pleats in place while printing color, using laser copies to print photographic images, and using resists to create patterning (such as leaves, lace). Two days. Supply list sent upon registration. $200 plus $20 for materials.
Discharge Dyeing
Learn to create pattern and designs on natural fabrics, such as cotton and silk, by removing the color using both bleach and other discharge agents by stamping, stenciling, and shibori techniques (Japanese tie-dye). Make your own printed fabric for quilts, clothing, embroidery, pillows and more!
One Day
$100 plus $25 materials fee (cotton fabrics, discharge agents)
Two Days
$200 plus $35 materials fee (cotton fabrics, discharge agents)