July 11 1-3

Back by popular demand! Dive into the colorful realm of fabric dyeing with Blake Brenneman, a skilled artisan known for his expertise in traditional techniques and innovative designs. This immersive lecture and hands-on workshop will guide you through the fundamentals of fabric dyeing, the significance of natural and synthetic dyes, and how you can use them in your own works.  If you've taken the first workshop and want more time with Blake, this is also your chance to try new designs!  We might make this a monthly workshop if there is interest!

Under Blake's thoughtful guidance, you'll learn everything from preparing fabric and dyes, to good color maintenance so that they stay vibrant. Discover the unique versatility of color work and personalization of customized fabric through home-safe techniques such as stove dyeing, jar dyeing, and shibori. Blake will inspire you to color the world around you.

This workshop is designed for anyone who wants a solid foundation in the limitless potential of fabric dyeing. It offers a curated opportunity to learn how to dye, develop your relationship with fabrics, and fundamentally personalize your fabric experience with this beautiful art form.

Materials Required:

Large ziplock bag

Gloves

At least one fat quarter of 100% cotton RFD (ready for dye) fabric (No designs) - available at Cottonwood. Two fat quarters or one 1/4 yard is recommended

Note: We will be working with strong fabric dye. Please wear clothes that you do not mind getting ruined. Accidents happen no matter what we prepare for.

About R. Blake Brenneman, @theredclubbindery or The-red-club.com
Bio:

Blake Brenneman is a bookbinder, paper maker, and sashiko artist specializing in handmade one-of-a-kind pieces. He teaches classes--both for groups and private lessons--and has expertise in book restoration, aesthetic rebindings, and custom journals and sketchbooks. Drawing on a rich background of art history, business, and as a magician, Blake combines traditional techniques with modern, small-batch sensibilities to create truly unique, utilitarian pieces of art. He lives in the greater Washington DC metro area with his wife and their beloved dog. 

Artist Statement:

Inner complexity and outward simplicity are the North Stars that guide my work. There is boldness in attempting perfection, even in its simplest forms. With books, the building of the process stays consistent: folding signatures, sewing pages, making book cloth. Yet, the most visible parts of each book allow limitless degrees of expression and creativity.

In the pursuit of that understated boldness, I layer Japanese sashiko--elegant, traditional stitchwork designed for mending and elevated to art by generations of artisans--with Western bookbinding methods. In bookbinding, there is always a dichotomy between aesthetic and function. At each crossroads of creativity, at each step in the process, I build layers of the utilitarian and the exquisite. Bookbinding allows me to encapsulate a universe within stitched pages; and each book created becomes more beautiful in the hands of the person using it. 

Each of us leaves an indelible impression upon every book we hold; the bookbinder is just the first.