I taught another just fabulous class at Mill House Quilts last weekend!
The students were very interested in trying out new techniques. Lots had experience with dyeing but not with indigo, which was super cool.
Chopsticks were very popular in this class. It’s funny how different patterns will trend in different classes. But the Mandala is always a popular pattern.
You can still see lots of green in this one. The indigo is still oxidizing.
As I always end up doing there, I tied the lines between two cars.
Fortunately, this student’s car not only had a roof rack, but was also the right color.
And that sky!
It was hot and buggy but everyone left happy. I love teaching classes and try to get to Mill House at least once a year. It’s not easy to travel with indigo but the back of the shop is pretty ideal for indigo: breezy and just shady enough in the afternoon.
I just got these in the mail: a dozen GIANT handwoven cotton scarves from Maiwa. Guess what I’m going to do with them 🙂
This is a three part class.
In the first class you will Indigo dye your own fabric for use in the quilt.
We will dye eight fat quarters with a few different patterns to later make a beautiful quilt top.
| Sat, Oct 6, 2018 at 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Sat, Oct 20, 2018 at 10:30 am to 1:00 pm Sat, Oct 27, 2018 at 10:30 am to 1:00 pm |
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Mary Gabich will teach the quilting portion of the classes.
In the second and third classes we will work on cutting out and assembling the quilt top.
We will be using the Four Patch Charm pattern by Kathy Schwarz. Pattern will be included in price of class.
This is an enthusiastic beginner class.
If you have ever taken a dye class with me you are welcome to join Club Indigo.
I will open up my indigo vats on the first Sunday of every month in the dye studio at the Electric Needle from 11 am to 3 pm.
This is NOT a class. I will be dyeing but will be happy as always to give you my advice. If you want to work in shibori or batik, you are welcome to, but I can’t help a ton as my hands will be blue. Books, resources and tools will be available.
Bring your own fabric – limited to about 5 yards of fabric a club day. All fabric MUST be made of natural fibers. The Electric Needle is closed on Sunday so there will NOT be availability to purchase fabric on club days.
Pre-registration is required. After you have registered you will receive an email explaining how to join us.
The registration fee includes a minimum of 2 hours of dye time and 1/2 hour for clean up.
Be advised the dye studio is in the basement, you will need to be able to navigate a flight of steps to get to the studio. If this is impossible for you please call so we can arrange a private lesson.
Join a us at a creative indigo dye retreat in Westby, Wisconsin. Located about two hours from Madison Wisconsin, you’ll be able to shed the grind of your daily life, and immerse yourself in the study and play of dyeing with indigo.
Make some beautifully patterned blue and white fabric using the fundamentals of Japanese Shibori techniques and indigo dyeing.
No fabric dyeing experience is required.
Shibori means to fold, clamp, stitch or in some way block off fabric to create patterns when the fabric is dyed.
We’ll be experimenting with a variety of shibori techniques to make beautiful patterns.
Then, you’ll dye your patterned fabric in an indigo dye vat. Feel free to bring along a tee shirt (natural fibers only) to dip into the vat.
Dress in clothes and shoes that can get stained blue.
o Learn about Indigo chemistry and history
o Experiment with basic Shibori techniques
o Fabric will be provided: 4 fat quarters (approximately 18’ X 22’ pieces) of cotton fabric to learn with
o You’ll get ample time to dye your fabric in an indigo dye vat.
If you have ever taken a dye class with me you are welcome to join Club Indigo.
I will open up my indigo vats on the first Sunday of every month in the dye studio at the Electric Needle from 11 am to 3 pm.
This is NOT a class. I will be dyeing but will be happy as always to give you my advice. If you want to work in shibori or batik, you are welcome to, but I can’t help a ton as my hands will be blue. Books, resources and tools will be available.
Bring your own fabric – limited to about 5 yards of fabric a club day. All fabric MUST be made of natural fibers. The Electric Needle is closed on Sunday so there will NOT be availability to purchase fabric on club days.
Pre-registration is required. After you have registered you will receive an email explaining how to join us.
The registration fee includes a minimum of 2 hours of dye time and 1/2 hour for clean up.
Be advised the dye studio is in the basement, you will need to be able to navigate a flight of steps to get to the studio. If this is impossible for you please call so we can arrange a private lesson.
Let’s make beautiful indigo dyed wearables for spring. In this three hour workshop, textile artist Jennifer Falkowski will teach us how to indigo dye using the incredibly versatile Japanese shibori technique called Arashi (pole wrapping). Arashi is a classic technique that can be used to make stripes, chevrons and wave inspired patterns that can vary from organic and loose shapes to clean, geometric lines. We’ll cover how to prepare our fabric for dyeing, preparing an indigo vat, making a variety of patterns using the arashi technique and finishing your work. You’ll walk away with the skills to continue indigo dyeing on your own as well as one hand dyed indigio Turkish Towel and one spring scarf, perfect for spring and summer adventures.
Each guest will be mixing their own indigo vat which typically can dye up to 15 yards of fabric, more than we’ll use for the towel and scarf. If you’d like to bring extra small items like tees, tanks, dresses, pillow cases, tea towels (ie no sheets or blankets or other large items) to play with dyeing, you’re welcome to. Extra dyeable Turkish towels will also be for sale.
Cost is $95 and pre-registration is required.
The air is crisp, and twinkle lights are out all around the city lighting up the dark nights. True winter means you’re wearing a scarf ALL THE TIME! So, why not rock an indigo-dyed infinity scarf! Perfect for keeping the chill off.
Are you wishing that Santa helps you get your Christmas wish of a hot summer weekend of indigo dyeing in 2018, but want to know a little more first?
Here are some FAQs about the retreat:
Q: Can I bring my own fabric to dye?
YES! While the retreat price includes all your materials, including fabric, tools, and access to prepared dye vats, you can bring whatever you want (as long as it’s natural fiber) to prep and dye during the retreat.
Q: Will I learn how to prepare different types of indigo vats?
YES! Jen will demonstrate how to do both natural and synthetic vats.
Q: What is included in the cost of the retreat?
Deep Into Indigo is an all-inclusive retreat. That means you get your lodging, meals (including wine and cocktails), instruction and all indigo dyeing supplies & tools. You can bring your own fabric, but only if you want to.