Explore the exciting possibilities of natural dye print pastes in this part demo, part hands-on class. Day 1 at the SEFAA Center will include observing dye extraction and paste production and using pre-mixed pastes for screen and/or block printing, painting and stenciling. Rinse and dry your work overnight and then on Day 2, we’ll gather virtually to review the previous day’s work, share and discuss results, look at finished project ideas for your sample pieces, and answer questions. Additional supplemental information will be also be available for download post-workshop. You’ll leave with a set of samples on a range of textile surfaces plus first-hand experience and information – in other words, a solid foundation for future exploration with natural dye printing on cloth!

About the Workshop Format: This will be the first in-person workshop at the SEFAA Center in over a year and our goal is to balance the joy of in-person learning with strict safety protocols. So, for Day 1 at the SEFAA Center:

• We will work outside if weather permits. If not, however, the SEFAA center has adequate square footage and ventilation to safely accommodate our small group.
• You’ll be required to wear a well-fitting mask and gloves and practice conscientious physical distancing (min. of 6’) while inside the SEFAA Center.
• You’ll be working with your own pre-purchased kit to eliminate typical workshop contact scenarios.
• You’ll be required to thoroughly clean and disinfect your work zone before leaving the SEFAA Center (supplies will be provided).

We’ll meet virtually on Day 2 since that format works well for discussion and doing so minimizes in-person contact time. We’ll provide the Zoom link in the reminder email we’ll send out a few days before the first class, and we’ll meet from 1 pm to 5 pm EST both days.

Kathy Colt is an Atlanta-based textile and fiber artist. While working towards a degree in Landscape Architecture in the early 1990’s, she began exploring cloth and fiber in earnest. Since that time she has continued to create with textile and fiber techniques, including nuno felting and cloth surface enrichment (most recently for her small, seasonal apparel line, Petal-una Collection). A keen student of dye-alchemy, Kathy’s work with natural dyes began in 2013 and has now become an important component of her studio practice. Kathy has taught workshops and presented on a variety of topics including nuno felting, surface design on cloth, indigo dyeing, sustainable studio practice, and “slow” textiles.

$165 – $190

Additional Supply Fee: None, kit fee of $45 is included in the cost of the class. Your (sanitized) kit will include a set of pre-mixed dye pastes, auxiliary chemicals, ia small set of supplemental mark-making tools (brushes, sponges, stencils), 10 to 12 pieces of various fabrics (12-18″ squares), a small amount of yarn, and basic instructions. Your kit will be ready for you on the first day of class.

Scholarship Available: No

Level: Beginner and beyond

Number of Students: 3 – 5

Required Supplies:

• mask (for pandemic safety)
• gloves (for pandemic safety)
• apron
• Optional: You may wish to bring additional cloth, yarn, or fiber for printing (and, optionally, painting) samples; sponges, favorite stencils, blocks or silk screens; brushes, etc.