I love to teach and will travel to wherever I am invited.
My workshops are always informative, dynamic, and lots of fun!

Most workshops can be scaled up or down to fit different time slots.
The Weaving/Dyeing workshops can be done with the dyeing in the workshop and the weaving at home.

		Natural Dyeing:
Natural Dyeing		Natural Colors to Dye For (3 hours to 3 days) Create a spectrum of color on wool yarn or silk fabric with dyes from plants, minerals, and an insect. We will use traditional dye materials such as madder, Brazilwood, indigo and cochineal. We will also explore dyeing with fresh wild plants. With more time, we can dye more colors. The mordants that fix the dyes to the fiber (alum, tannin, and iron) are safe to use and give a wide range of fast and beautiful colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and a beautiful black are all possible with natural dyes.
Indigo Workshop		Indigo: How Can You Resist? (Three hours to 3 days) In this workshop we will explore the natural blue dye indigofera tinctoria and its uses in resist dyeing. Learn how to prepare an indigo vat, and experience the magical indigo dye process, watching fibers change from green to blue in your hands! If we have two or three days for this workshop we will fold, tie, stitch, clamp, and dye cloth for traditional Japanese shibori, and gather handwoven fabrics for woven shibori. We can also dye yarns to create patterned skeins and warps for ikat weaving. Learn how to use indigo in combination with other natural dyes for overdye and discharge effects.
Silk Painting with Natural Dye Extracts		Silk Painting with Natural Dye Extracts (1 1/2 to 2 hours) Handpaint a silk scarf with colors from plants, minerals, and an insect! Cure the dyes with fresh air and sunshine. This class is an enjoyable introduction to natural dyes, perfect for all ages and levels of experience.
		Portable Loom Weaving:
Easy Backstrap Loom Weaving		Easy Backstrap Loom Weaving (2-4 hours) Weave a simple and beautiful belt or strap on this version of a backstrap loom using a rigid heddle (provided). Choose your own colors of mercerized cotton yarn. The loom may be pre-threaded, or if time allows you can thread the rigid heddle yourself to create warp-faced plain weave patterning. The loom is tensioned by your body, as one end is tied to a fixed object and the other goes around your waist.
Tapestry Weaving Workshop		Tapestry Weaving Workshop (2-4 hours) Weave a small tapestry on a very portable wooden loom. We will use hemp for the warp and colorful natural dyed wools for the weft. Create geometric designs and learn basic techniques such as soumak, pick-and-pick, and discontinuous weft. Take the loom home with you!
		Weaving/Dyeing:
Ikat Weaving		Ikat Weaving (3 or more days) Tie and dye yarns, design with color and stripes, and weave a lovely textile inspired by the fabrics of Guatemala! Choose to create a shawl, scarf or runner in a twill or plain weave. Design your own colorway in shiny cottons. Warps can be created and dyed in this class and woven at home. If students bring looms they can be woven in the workshop.
Painted Warp Weaving		Painted Warp Weaving (2 or more days) Wind cotton warps for a scarf or shawl, then paint them with fiber reactive dyes. Or wind warps for a silk scarf and paint with natural dyes. You will be amazed at the results! Learn how to sett and weave a warp emphasis fabric. Weaving can be done in class or the warps can be taken home to weave.
Woven Shibori		Woven Shibori (3 or more days) Tie and dye your own unique patterned fabrics! Woven shibori fabric has extra threads woven in that are pulled up to gather the fabric before dyeing. Learn to layer different natural dyes to create various color effects. We will explore overdyeing, discharge, resists, and pleating with our fabrics and get fascinating results. Fabrics can be woven prior to the workshop and the workshop will focus on the dyeing processes.
		Weaving on Floor or Table Looms:
Beginning Weaving		Beginning Weaving (5 days) Learn to weave and create a beautiful textile! We will weave a sampler and scarf in wool yarn using plain weave and twills. You will make a warp and dress the loom, try out different yarns and weave structures, and discover how your loom works. You will also learn basic drafting.
Overshot Weaving		Overshot Weaving (3 days) The overshot weave is a favorite of handweavers. Choose a draft and weave complex designs on only four shafts! We can weave round-robin style or create runners and towels with this versatile weave. Learn basic block theory, some different treadling variations and how to create a name draft in overshot. This is for weavers who have already taken Beginning Weaving or who know how to warp a loom.
Shadow Weave		Shadow Weave (3 to 5 days) Alternate colors in the warp and weft to create fascinating designs! Choose your own draft for 4, 6, or 8 shafts. Learn about color-and-weave effects, color combinations and how to decipher shadow weave drafts. Create samples in a round robin, or weave a scarf or runner.
		From Rags to Rugs (3 to 5 days) Rag rugs are fun and easy. You can weave one even if you've never woven before! Choose a simple plain weave rug, or a block design if you are more advanced. This workshop can be done in 3 days with pre-warped looms or as a 5 day beginning weaving class with warping instruction.