Textile
Unique Tees: Silkscreen
Fenella Belle, Instructor of Art, Piedmont Virginia Community College
From idea to finished object, participants print their own professional-looking and unique t-shirt. Starting with a discussion of what makes a good design, participants create their own designs, cut stencils, and print onto shirts using the silkscreen printing technique. Along the way, the concept of positive and negative shapes is introduced as it relates to stencil design. This workshop is a fun and fast-paced day that involves both individual creativity and teamwork!
Audience: 3rd grade through adult
Enrollment: 12 participants
Facilities needed: Nearby sink with hot water, tables that can be covered, no carpets; Participants provide own t-shirts.
Rigid Heddle Weaving
Cherri Hankins, Custom Fiber Artist and Educator
Weaving on a rigid heddle loom is a low-cost way to weave, without limiting the weaver's creative possibilities. The loom's simple construction makes it an easy and accessible way to learn to weave. Participants explore the basics of setting up the loom, choosing yarns, designing fabrics, weaving, and fringing. Students are encouraged to bring yarns from their own "stash" to work with or share. Discover the possibilities of weaving!
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 – 20 participants
Spinning — Yarn from the Spinning Wheel
Cherri Hankins, Custom Fiber Artist and Educator
Spinning yarn always looks so peaceful, and in this workshop, participants find out why so many people choose to spin their own yarn. Students learn to spin wool into yarn and ply as the Navajo did, focusing on the very beginnings of spinning on the spinning wheel. Spinning the wheel seems to match body rhythms and sooth stressed souls. Participants leave the class with several skeins of yarn in various plies and weights. Take this class early, so you can sit by the fire and spin this winter.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 10 – 20 participants
Crash Course in Knitting
Robyn Raines, Artist
Learn how to knit! This workshop introduces beginners to the basic tools and materials used in knitting. Participants will receive group and individualized instruction. Materials are provided for this day-long workshop and at least one project will be on its way to completion by the end of the day.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Embroidery Basics, Part I
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
In this one-day workshop, learn basic hand embroidery stitches, including straight stitch, chain stitch, couching, seeding, and French knots. Beginning with a brief overview of embroidery used in traditional garments and contemporary art, the workshop then teaches embroidery techniques using cotton fabric, an embroidery hoop, and colorful thread. In the studio, students design and start stitching a 5" x 7" travel postcard consisting entirely of embroidery on fabric (the project can be completed at home). The stitches learned can also be used to embellish garments, handkerchiefs, pillows, or baby blankets. Examples of the different applications are demonstrated.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Embroidery Basics, Part II
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
This workshop is designed to follow Embroidery Basics. Building on basic embroidery techniques, students continue exploring more embroidery stitches and look at new ways to use these techniques in collage and mixed media art. Instruction also covers textile embellishment with stamping, stenciling, fabric markers, and paints. Participants may provide their own pillows, purses, napkins, and gift bags for embellishment. Most materials provided.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Structures, Vessels, and Basketry
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
What kind of a structure or container would you build to safeguard and preserve something of value? This workshop demonstrates how to weave mats and baskets using the simplest of materials. Participants build wire structures and investigate different ways to cover them so they can conceal or reveal the contents inside. Investigating both natural and manmade materials, this workshop allows experimentation with stacking, weaving, and stitching to create vessels.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Making Marks on Fabric
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
Want to loosen up your artist’s hand? Using water-based pigments, students will experiment with painting, stamping, and stenciling on fabric. Mark-making with embroidery will be demonstrated as students learn to “draw with thread” and beading will be explored as they learn how to include beads as an embellishment into art. This workshop is designed to give students an overview of different textile techniques.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Felting
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
This workshop is fun, wet, and messy. Squish, pound and scrub layers of wool fleece together to manipulate the colorful layered results into sheets, pockets, and balls of felt. The felted results can be used in a variety of ways from clothing embellishment to a beautiful wall piece. Felting is a versatile technique that allows the incorporation of found objects. Access to a sink or large trays is essential; you can even take the process outdoors.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants
Facilities needed: Access to a sink or large trays is essential; you can even take the process outdoors.
Silk Painting
Mary Swezey, Textile Artist
Discover the French technique of serti, drawing with a liquid resist to create designs and patterns on silk scarves. Once the resist has dried and set with an iron, fabric paints are applied to complete the design. Students can expect to finish a long scarf. The workshop will also include a brief overview of the history of silk painting. This program has been organized by the VMFA Office of Statewide Partnerships and is funded, in part, by the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.
Audience: High school through adult
Enrollment: 15 participants