Penland School of Crafts Textiles Summer 2010

Classes are open to serious students of all levels unless specified in course description; beginners welcome.

Wayne Wichern, Wicked, handblocked black

velour felt, felt faux leaves, bead/sequin trim,

10 x 10 x 10 in.

Students in this class will block felt and straw hats using traditional hat blocks and freeform methods. Once the felt or straw blank is damp and hot with steam, it is quickly blocked—pulled, stretched, or sculpted onto the wooden hat block. While the materials dry, you will learn brim finishes—rolled brim edges, hand- or machine-sewn welts, bias binding, or petersham-ribbon edgings—and embellishing and trimming techniques to complete your hats. All levels. Code 01ta

Millinery designer; teaching: Cañada College (CA), The Sewing Workshop (CA); collections: de Young Museum (San Francisco), Museum of History and Industry (Seattle); galleries: Gallery of the Mountains (NC), Fuller Craft Museum (MA), Fino Fino (CA), Circle & Square (CA).

Dorothy Gill Barnes, A Harvested Variety,

natural materials, sizes vary

Using mostly materials gathered from the Penland landscape, students in this class will construct vessels or sculptures that honor nature using a variety of techniques: carpentry, sewing, weaving—whatever is appropriate to local materials and suitable to individual inspiration. We will work with respectfully harvested heavy and delicate barks, grasses, wood, vines, and roots. Waxed linen and wire may be used for support if required. Basketry, carpentry, or weaving skills will be helpful but the class is open to all levels. Code 01tb

Studio artist; teaching: Arrowmont (TN), Haystack (ME), former faculty at Capital University (OH); fellow of the American Craft Council, lifetime achievement award from the National Museum of Women in the Arts (DC); collections: Renwick Gallery (DC), Museum of Arts and Design (NYC).

We will explore the world of haute couture, allowing it to inspire us and transcend the runway. Fashion will be reinterpreted and reinvented through the use of conventional and unconventional materials. Individualized instruction will cover design, planning, balance, fit, and construction. This is an opportunity to design and create work you’ve stored in the back of your mind but haven’t had a chance to explore. An open mind and vision are required; sewing skills are not, although they will be helpful. All levels. Code 02ta

Director of UrbanCouture, a fashion design program at Grady High School (Atlanta); Grady High School Teacher of the Year 2007; organizer of fashion-based fundraising events; former Penland core fellowship student.

Chunghie Lee, Pojagi Shoes

Pojagi patchwork wrapping cloths have been used in Korea for many generations for ceremonial and household use. Traditional pieces use several stitching methods including a triple stitching technique called gekki. Stitching creates stiff linear elements that can be used as design components. The traditional fabric, nobang, offers variations in transparency, depth, and drape. Students will make at least one fabric and one paper pojagi and many experimental swatches to use as an inspirational resource. We will think conceptually and consider “wrapping” in new ways. All levels. Code 02tb

Adjunct faculty at Rhode Island School of Design; collections: Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Portland Museum of Art (OR).

Elizabeth Barton, Steel Yard Frieze, cotton fabric hand dyed

and printed, pieced and appliqued, 45 x 26 in.

Art quilts are unique objects made to be hung on the wall. We will create yards of gorgeous fabric through shibori, dyeing, and screen-printing. Then we will design and make quilts, emphasizing excellent compositions that will lead to strong works with lasting appeal. We will cover the basics of dyeing, designing, and constructing, including pieceing, appliqué, machine quilting, and finishing. All levels. Code 03ta

Studio artist; teaching: Arrowmont (TN), Rocky Mountain Quilt Workshop (Canada), Art Quilt Tahoe (CA), Empty Spools (CA); exhibitions: Young Harris College (GA), Blue Spiral I (NC), American Museum of Quilts (CA), Visions Gallery (CA), Quilt National exhibitions.

Adrienne Sloane, Truth to Power (detail), knitted wire

Students will experiment with knitting fundamentals to uncover the enormous possibilities of 3D knit. By manipulating stitches and solving knitting geometry, students will learn to “think knit.” We will explore nontraditional materials and a range of dimensional techniques to create shape and stability while taking advantage of knit’s natural tendencies. Techniques will include short rowing, protrusions and bulges, random pickups, ruffles, knit painting, and tubular structures. We will also address how knitting has exploded into the public space through guerrilla and graffiti knitting. Basic knitting skills required. Code 03tb

Studio artist; collections: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Goldstein Museum of Design at University of Minnesota.

Frank Connet, Untitled, indigo,

walnut dyes on wool, 80 x 42 in.

Indigo is the oldest, most versatile, and most beautiful blue dye. Because the color is built up through successive dips into the dye bath, it is well suited to a variety of resist techniques. We will use basic shibori on wool, silk, and cotton as a starting point for exploring the unique properties of the indigo vat. Less orthodox resist methods will then be considered, allowing each student to find their way with this subtle and responsive color. Appropriate for those new to dyeing and more advanced students interested in further exploration. All levels. Code 04ta

Studio artist; representation: Douglas Dawson Gallery (Chicago), Jane Sauer Gallery (Santa Fe); collections: Art Institute of Chicago, City of Chicago, MacArthur Foundation (Chicago).

Edwina Bringle, Blanket, handwoven and

hand dyed wool

First-timers and experienced weavers will work with color, texture, and yarns that shrink and change after weaving. We will explore weave structures, some dyeing, and the skills needed to plan the weaving process. Multiple projects will help you move forward with your own voice. Come with enthusiasm, a sense of play, and be ready to experiment. All levels. Code 04tb

Studio artist; professor emerita from University of North Carolina/Charlotte; collections: North Carolina Museum of History, Greenville Museum of Art (SC).

Stephen Sidelinger, Cloths of Heaven,

gouache and mixed media on paper, 18 x18 in.

All crafts at some point are easier with an understanding of pattern structures and methods—being able to see and think in repeats. This class will provide hands-on methods for creating 15 kinds of patterns. We will start with basic patterns: from block, brick, diamond, and step to geometric structures and free-form repeats. Then we will draw from the past: primitive ornament, Egyptian, Greek, and Asian patterns, manuscript illumination, William Morris, and Art Deco. No previous knowledge of pattern design needed. All levels. Code 05ta

Faculty at Ringling College of Art (FL); author of Visual Language: A Guide to Finding Personal Style, and A Color Manual.

Tommye McClure Scanlin,

To the Essence of Every Nature,

handwoven tapestry, wool, cotton,

34 x 58 in.

Tapestry techniques allow for ultimate control of shapes and images when weaving. We will use frame looms as we explore the basic image creation techniques of tapestry. We will also delve into other weft-faced methods including pick and pick, clasped wefts, and boundweaves on floor looms. Our adventure will include design planning for tapestry and other methods. No weaving experience needed; I’ll teach you to warp both kinds of looms. All levels. Code 06ta

Studio artist; member of Piedmont Craftsmen (NC) and Southern Highland Craft Guild (NC); two American Tapestry Alliance awards; Hambidge Center Fellowship (GA).

Jeanne Brady, Into the Woods, takishibu ramie,

takishibu tokkenshi fiber, paper moire yarn,

eyelash yarn, 20 x 100 in.

This class is for weavers who want to investigate the expressive potential of weaving. Using the Penland campus as inspiration, we will explore and experiment to find the unique ways that weaving can express our response to place. We will cover on- and off-loom structures, yarn, color, scale, time, and site-specific installation. We will generate ideas by walking around, exploring, gathering materials, sampling, and discussion. Bring playful, inquisitive thinking and an openness to discovery. Students must be able to dress a floor loom, weave independently, and walk about the campus. Code 06tb

Associate professor and head of fibers at Appalachian Craft Center (TN); exhibitions: Fiberart International (PA), Fiber Focus & Art (St. Louis).

Carl Newman, Fishmonger, silk threads,

silk fabric, 8-1/2 x 12-1/2 in.

Traditional Japanese embroidery is done on a wooden frame using silk fabrics and silk and metal threads. It is a continuation of an art that is more that 1,600 years old. Most threads are made at the work station as needed. Students will learn techniques that will build on each other throughout the class. Students new to Japanese embroidery will need to buy a $255 supply kit. All levels. Code 07ta

Studio artist and teacher; certified teacher by Kurenai-Kai Japanese Embroidery Center (Atlanta); workshop teaching: Sawtooth Center (NC), Old Salem (NC), Augusta Heritage Workshops (WV), Embroiderers Guild of America chapters; selected as one of eight artisans honored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation during the Celebration of American Artisans (DC).

Deb Menz, Yellow Road, tapestry

Start with an idea and create a postcard-size tapestry with your own handspun yarn. We will use pre-dyed fibers and a drum carder, or paint already combed fibers, or use Lanaset dyes to immersion-dye fibers—and then spin the perfect yarns for our tapestries. We will also cover color blending to get just the right colors. Weaving will be on portable looms, which will be provided. The weaving techniques are so simple that the yarns themselves can be highlighted. No experience with tapestry or dyeing is needed, you just need to be able to spin a yarn. Code 07tb

Studio artist and workshop teacher; author of Color in Spinning and Color Works (both Interweave Press), co-author of the Color By Number books.

Stephen Sidelinger, Cloths of Heaven, gouache

and mixed media on paper, 18 x18 in.

Faculty at Ringling College of Art (FL); author of Visual Language: A Guide to Finding Personal Style, and A Color Manual. stephensidelinger.com The second-floor textiles studio will be used this session for an exploratory workshop for artists in any media, titled All About the Why.

Christina Shmigel, Bamboo Window, bamboo,

plastic string, the city of Shangai, 24 x 28 in.

This is a workshop for makers in any medium who want to deepen their understanding of the wellsprings of their work. Through a series of riddles and explorations, using images, 3D sketching, book- and model-making, and materials different from, but parallel to, our customary ones, we will investigate what makes our work uniquely ours. With play and curiosity, we will explore ways of opening up our future work. All levels. Code 05tb
Second-floor textiles studio.

Studio artist in sculptural installation; former professor of sculpture at Webster University (St. Louis); solo exhibitions: St. Louis Art Museum, Laumeier Sculpture Park (St. Louis), Duolun Museum of Art (Shanghai).