Textile & Fiber Arts Studio at Mendocino Art Center

01/04/2017

Happy New Year everyone. MAC's winter and spring schedule is up and live. This month, January, we will be having a series of "winter wellness" workshops with an emphasis on herbal remedy preparation taught by Liz Migliorelli.
Younmin Lee will be teaching Bojagi this spring http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Spring17/Lee.html Jiyoung Chung (full), Sam Russell, Tricia Goldberg, Merridee Joan Smith, and Sandra Wagner,

The SUMMER schedule is being finalized. Summer workshops will be available for registration near the end of this month. Here's a sneak peak of the summer workshop instructors: Kiranda Sterling Benjamin, Gasali Adeyemo, Pavlos Mayakis, Suzanne Punch, Lauren Sinner, Jane Dunnewold, Mickie McCormic, Ana Lisa Hedstrom

12/08/2016

The winter and spring schedule is up and open for registration. http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Fiber_Arts.html The summer 2017 schedule is in the process of being finalized prior to its January publication. There are still a few teaching slots available. Let us know if you have any suggestions for instructors. Kindly contact [email protected] Fiber Arts Coordinator Mendocino Arts Center. For you locals, Pavlos will be teaching Fabric Printing and Dyeing at Mendocino College on Saturdays starting January 28, 2017. Register directly at Mendocino College in Fort Bragg or online www.mendocino.edu.

08/11/2016

Gasali Adeyemo
TRADITIONAL YORUBA BATIK, ADIRE AND TIE-DYE WITH INDIGO at the Mendocino Art Center
September 8-12, 2016 http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Fall16/Adeyemo.html

Gasali will teach the traditional Yoruba techniques of Batik, Adire Eleko and Tie-Dye.

“When teaching I always begin by telling the students a little about myself and my culture; I explain the meanings behind the designs I am teaching them. I give a short demonstration of the methods before the students begin. Batik is the process of creating designs using wax. The name that we call batik in the Yoruba tribe is adire alabela, which means wax resist. The wax can be applied to the fabric using wood stamps, stencils, or foam rubber. In my culture we primarily use foam rubber to apply the design to the fabric free hand. I believe that batik is the way of creating so many beautiful colors. When I teach I always tell my students when you first start your batik process and you want many colors you should make sure you leave some space for the next color to be applied. Traditionally in Nigeria the dye used for batik fabrics is a dye called Jaman dye or Procion dye, which are both colored dyes. However, indigo is currently the common dye used.

After the fabric has been dyed, the wax must be removed. When removing the wax from a piece that has been dyed the fabric should be almost dry so that the color has time to set. To remove the wax, the fabric must be put into a large pot of boiling water to which three or four tablespoons of a mild, bleach free detergent has been added. After the fabric gets immersed in the boiling water for a few minutes it then gets placed in a large pot of cold water and gently agitated to remove any remaining wax. The fabric is then hung out to dry.

Adire Eleko is the process of creating designs using cassava paste (also called yucca), a small broom, and a chicken feather. I teach the students how to prepare the paste, so they can do it themselves when they are home. There are two techniques in Adire, the first is to use a stencil, and the second is to create the patterns by hand. I show the students both methods. After the designs are created I then show the students how to prepare indigo and use it to dye their work. Finally, I show them the process to remove the cassava from their work.

Tie-Dye is the process of using raffia to tie fabric and then dying the fabric. There are a few different tie-dye techniques; the first is called stitch resist where the design is made using a needle to stitch the raffia into the fabric. The other method is done by hand using raffia to create designs. I teach the students both Tie-Dye techniques as well as how to dye the fabric and remove the raffia.

The primary dye I use in my workshops is Indigo. Indigo has been used as a dye in Africa for at least 2000 years. The Yoruba name for indigo is “elu.” Since the olden days indigo has been used for medicine as well as a dye; it cures an upset stomach. Indigo is also used to ward off viruses; houses are painted with indigo to prevent the sickness from entering. Indigo is an organic substance, it comes from the indigo plant which grows wild in Nigeria. During the beginning of the rainy season the leaves are harvested and then dried. After they have dried they are formed into little balls which are then used to prepare the dye.”

— Gasali Adeyemo

08/11/2016

06/15/2016

A scholarship is available for this 5 day workshop
Instructor: Carol Soderlund
THE NEW COLOR MIXING FOR DYERS
June 25–29, 2016 (Saturday–Wednesday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Summer16/Soderlund.html
Scholarships available:
http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/level2/scholarships.html

05/16/2016

05/14/2016

Jacqueline Mallegni
PAPER, STICKS, FORM AND LIGHT
July 8–10, 2016 (Friday–Sunday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Summer16/Mallegni.html

05/07/2016

Only a few spots remain is this workshop.
THE NEW COLOR MIXING FOR DYERS
June 25–29, 2016 (Saturday–Wednesday, 9:30am–4:30pm)
http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Summer16/Soderlund.html
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Dye the color you choose, not the color that chooses you! Explore the unlimited number of hues possible by mixing only pure reds, yellows, and blues of Procion MX fiber reactive dye. Teams of students will use different sets of primaries that when mixed will yield hundreds of colors in a wide range of values. Sharing the results, each student will build a sample book of more than 1,000 dye swatches and their recipes on 100% cotton fabric. This book will become an invaluable reference for future dyeing. Using the sample book as a guide, each student will apply the basic techniques of dyeing, including dyeing value gradations, over-dyeing, and low water immersion techniques. The expanded format will allow much more time for individual projects, and getting color onto cloth.

Along with this hands-on approach, students will come to understand color theory in three-dimensional model that goes beyond the color wheel. We will examine the difference between color theory and color reality, and break through the confusions of so many color systems that are not dye-based. This course will be a wonderful foundation for wearable artists, quilters, needleworkers, weavers, and dyers of cellulose fibers and silk, or for anyone who wants to learn more about the interactions of color.

NEW as of 2013! Students will be creating new color families not previously dyed in Carol's classes. If you have been wanting a new set of samples, but would do the work cooperatively with classmates, this is your opportunity!

04/09/2016

It's a great program. Please email me if you have any questions. [email protected]

03/15/2016

Here's the Mendocino Art Center Fiber Art's Spring/Summer schedule. Also those of you that were wait listed for last years Shannon Weber's workshop there are still spaces available in her upcoming April workshop. http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Fiber_Arts.html

02/13/2016

The lead photo is this article was taken when Yoshiko Wada taught in the Fiber Arts Studio last summer at the Mendocino Art Center https://shibori.org/2016/02/11/making-an-indigo-vat-part-1-of-2/

Here are some tips from WSN President Yoshiko Wada on making a natural indigo vat... Source: Making an indigo vat :: Part 1 of 2.

01/25/2016

Greetings. In addition to a wonderful Spring 2016 offering of workshops, Summer 2016 is now open to registration: Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Susan Else, Ann Johnston, Jiyoung Chung, and more. http://www.mendocinoartcenter.org/Fiber_Arts.html