Fiber Arts as Book Arts: Natural Dyeing
Course Code: 25FTX100V
This virtual workshop takes place on Zoom, on Thursday, October 23rd, 6PM to 8PM ET.
- Thursday, October 23rd from 6-8pm
This workshop is part one in a four part series which also covers kitchen printing, embroidery, and fiber book forms.
Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on October 9th, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.
About the Workshop:
This virtual workshop is taught by CBA instructor Iviva Olenick.
Participants in this workshop will learn multiple plant-based dyeing and printing methods using kitchen and yard waste. We will start by learning how to identify natural versus manufactured fibers (fabrics and yarns), and how to set up a safe fabric and paper dyeing studio at home. The instructor will explain how to prep fabric for dyeing, including how to safely scour and mordant fiber. She will describe how different types of fibers interact with and absorb natural dyes; how to responsibly harvest and forage for natural materials in your neighborhood; and how to begin to identify plants, kitchen waste and spices that are safe to use and yield color. The instructor will also provide resources for learning more about local plants.
Participants will complete two projects which intersect natural dyeing and print-making — bundle dyeing and petal and leaf pounding. Finally, the instructor will discuss immersion or dip dyeing, and solar dyeing, and will share examples of artists’ books made with dyed fabric, yarn and thread.
Required Materials:
Materials:
- Un-dyed fabric with natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen, or silk), pre-treated. To pre-treat the fabric, please see the slides below with thorough information about fabric prep and more about natural dyeing.
- A pot dedicated to dye making, not to be used for cooking or eating. The pot needs to be non-reactive metal (stainless steel or enamel-coated cast iron), or a plastic water heater, like this example
- Steamer or aluminum foil
- Access to a sink and water
- Un-dyed yarn
- Natural dye materials. Examples include onion skins (red or yellow), hibiscus flower petals, acorns,…
More detailed materials lists will be provided in the email sent upon registration.
About the Instructor
Iviva Olenick is a Brooklyn-based artist developing textiles from seed to fiber and dye and using textiles as texts.
Her work has been exhibited all over the United States, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Museum of Design Atlanta; the Hunterdon Museum, NJ; Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, NYC; the Center for Book Arts, NYC; the Old Stone House, Brooklyn; Wyckoff House Museum, Brooklyn.
Olenick is a faculty member of SVA’s MFA Art Practice program where she teaches Fibers. In addition, she gives artist talks and designs intensive textile-based workshops for museums and universities.
All images courtesy of the instructor