Dye, Stitch, Fold, Mend: Fiber Arts as Book Arts (Session One: Natural Dyeing) (Fall 2023)
This virtual workshop takes place on Zoom on October 26, 2023. This is part one in a series of three workshops focusing on natural dyeing, embroidery, and bookmaking techniques.
Complete Schedule:
- October 26, 6:00–8:00 pm
You may register for one, two, or all three sessions. Please be advised that a 10% discount will be automatically applied at checkout to registrations for any two or more sessions. You can sign up for Session 2 here and Session 3 here.
Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on October 19, 2023 at 11:59pm.
About the Workshop:
Transform fabric and paper using commonly found household items (food scraps, needle and thread, old fabrics) to tell new stories through fiber arts and book arts techniques combined. After experimenting with bundle dyeing and leaf and petal pounding, we will transition to basic embroidery stitches with a focus on rendering text, culminating in introducing materials and techniques for transforming plant-dyed and stitched pages into sculptural books.
In this one-day workshop, participants will learn multiple dye and printing methods using kitchen and yard waste and
responsibly foraged plant matter. This is a great opportunity to make use of natural materials and work from home to learn a new skill! In this virtual workshop, you’ll learn more about natural materials and how to set up a safe fabric and paper dyeing area in your home. You will learn how to prep fabric for dyeing, and learn about types of fibers and how they interact with natural dyes.
This workshop will also go over how to harvest and forage for natural materials in your neighborhood and area, and how to identify potential natural dye sources. During class, you’ll complete a project using bundle dyeing, petal and leaf pounding, and discuss dip dyeing.
Students will learn from examples of artists’ books made with dyed fabric and thread, and will go over tips and tricks for mordanting and dyeing your fabric. This class will set you up for “Dye, Stitch, Fold, Mend: Part Two,” where you’ll learn sewing and stitching techniques to add on to your dyed fabric creations.
Required Materials:
- Un-dyed fabric with natural fibers (cotton, wool, linen, or silk), pre-treated (instructions will be sent upon registration).
- A large pot for dye
- Steamer or aluminum foil
- Access to a sink and water
- Un-dyed yarn
- Natural dye materials (more info provided upon registration)
- Optional: a small hammer or mallet
- Optional: rubber gloves
About Iviva Olenick
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.
