Preserving Place

One of my experiments from my time spent at Craftwork Somerville this past weekend. Amy Stein's workshop Backyard Bundles provided me with yet another approach for us to capture and record nature.  These flowers are dyed in relief on paper that bathed in an onion dyebath.

This August FiberLAB will be holding a retreat in Gloucester called Stitching Nature. We will be working in the airy and spacious Lanesville Community Center with access to hiking trails at Dogtown Commons and close proximity to the ocean.

Each morning there will be demonstrations on various techniques for surface design, innovative approaches to traditional needlework techniques, printing, dyeing and material exploration. The goal is to experiment and open our minds to new approaches that we can add to our toolbox for future projects.

Ecodyeing is a philosophy that embraces ecologically sustainable plant-dye methods that use renewable resources and do the least possible harm to the environment. For me, an added bonus is that one connects to where they happen to be in a particular moment in time. Like capturing sunshine in a jar.

 

The afternoons will be independent study with guidance and coaching. One may choose to play with  many different studies, or to work on a singular project. It is an open curriculum with much depth for people who are curious and love to explore.

On day one, after our morning demos, we will hike the woods collecting windfall, and anything else we discover, to cook in our dyepots over the course of the week. Each evening will be an opportunity to walk the woods and the beaches to continue our collecting. Nature will be our muse and the studio will be our laboratory.

Hapazome print of an iris petal on muslin created by Amy.

Using Nature as our inspiration for color, design, form and concept, we will create using both manufactured and found materials from our environment. Fibers, rusty bits, plant matter, printmaking, ecodyeing, felting, wrapping, crocheting, wire, embroidery.... so many possibilities... there's something for everyone to sink their teeth into. And summer in Gloucester will be rich in material for us to work with!

We will take time out of our routine to discover our place, ourselves and establish new directions for our work.

Please contact me if you need assistance with housing or any other questions about the curriculum. 

And check back often for more images!