Penland Textiles Classes

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

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 S03TB

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

Wayne Wichern, Cocteau Fedora,

animal print felt, felt faux feather,

12 x 8 x 8 in.

Create unique felt and straw hats using both traditional hat blocks and free-form methods. Sculpt onto wooden hat blocks to make classic shapes or onto found objects to make eccentric hats. Learn traditional and inventive finishing and embellishing techniques: rolled brim edges, hand- and machine-sewn welts, bias or petersham-ribbon bindings. Millinery ribbons, flowers, silk fabrics, horsehair, straw braids, and other trimmings will complete your fanciful hats. All levels. Code 01TA

Millinery designer; teaching: Peters Valley (NJ), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Cañada College (CA); collections: de Young Museum (San Francisco), Museum of History and Industry (Seattle); galleries: Fuller Craft Museum (MA), Fino Fino (CA), Gallery of the Mountains (NC), Gallery of Contemporary Craft (MI), The Dutches (CA).

Krishna Amin-Patel, Screen,

handwoven cotton, 72 x 48 in.

This class will begin with an enjoyable introduction to basic weave structures and then move students to an understanding of double weaves and their potential with a variety of materials. We will also cover surface design techniques such as shibori, silkscreen, and wool resist. Students will be encouraged to pursue their artistic abilities and will be guided toward reaching their individual goals. All levels. Code 01TB

Senior faculty at the National Institute of Design (India); presenter at World Shibori Symposium; exhibitions: Artspace (AZ), Woven Fiber Art House (PA), Gallery Materia (AZ); co-author of Fibre and Loom: The Indian Tradition.

1st Session also includes Conversation with Nature, a special mixed-media workshop with Kyoung Ae Cho.

Luke Haynes, [Iconography #7] Rags to Riches,

quilted reclaimed textiles, 90 x 90 in.

This class will take students through two projects. You will start with a small quilt to get the hang of fabric and how to handle a sewing machine. Then you will move to a larger project with more design freedom. This class will show you that what you thought was difficult or even impossible can be accessible and enjoyable. Students will use design elements from their minds to make awesome quilt objects. All levels. Code 02TA

Studio artist; exhibitions: Textile Art Center (NYC), Folk Art Museum (NYC), Vermillion (Seattle), Newark Museum (NJ), The Art Quilt Gallery (NYC), The Box Factory (San Francisco), AA Gallery (NYC); collections: Brooklyn Museum (NYC), Duke University (NC), Newark Museum (NJ).

Jennifer Moore, Awakening, hand-dyed silk, cotton,

doubleweave pick-up, 65 x 70 in.

Students will begin by weaving a four-shaft sampler through which they will learn a wide variety of techniques from loom-controlled layers to hand-manipulated decorative pro-cesses. Then they will weave a set of samples in several four- to eight-shaft structures and finally weave a project of their choice. We will cover design, working with multiple colors in warp and weft, and extending into multiple shafts.Students must be able to warp a floor loom. Code 02TB

Studio artist; exhibitions: Fuller Art Center (NM), Matrix Arts (NM), Center for Creative Studies (CO), Harwood Museum (NM), Sumner & Dene Gallery (NM), Center for Contemporary Arts (NM), Matrix Arts (NM), Harwood Museum of Art (NM); author of The Weaver’s Studio: Doubleweave (Interweave Press), work published in Handwoven and Fiberarts Design Book Seven (Lark Books).

John Garrett, New Age Basket No. 5,

found, collected, and constructed

metal components, paper, paint,

beads, 20 x 15 x 15 in.

Students will explore fiber construction methods including coiling, knotting, plaiting, crochet, and stitching to construct vessel forms. We will use a variety of materials, including fiber materials from industrial and recycled sources, as we consider the metaphorical importance of the vessel. From these foundations we will investigate further sculptural forms. All levels. Code 02D

Studio artist; teaching: Scripps College (CA), University of California-Los Angeles; fellow of the American Craft Council, two NEA fellowships; collections: Renwick Gallery (DC), Racine Art Museum (WI), High Museum (Atlanta), Detroit Institute of Art, Albuquerque Museum (NM), Arkansas Art Center, Carnegie Museum (Pittsburgh), Detroit Museum, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Mint Museums (NC).

2nd Session also includes Crafting Memory, Dreaming History: Writing from Experience, a special writing workshop with Sharona Muir.

Catharine Ellis, jacquard-woven cotton, shibori-dyed

with madder root, weld, marigold, pomegranate and

indigo, stitched and appliquéd, 56 x 56 in.

This class is an exploration of natural dyes for studio use with a focus on the science behind the art. We will investigate mordants for both cellulose and protein fibers, immersion and print applications, lightfastness, and historical references. We will use both extracts and fresh plants, including indigo, and will discuss environmental and sustainability issues. Some experience with textile fibers and dyes required. All levels. Code 03TA

Catharine: studio artist; teaching: Haywood Community College (NC) craft program, author of Woven Shibori (Interweave Press); partner with The Oriole Mill (NC) developing new fabrics. Joy: textile engineer and chemist; teaching: Designskolen Kolding (Denmark).

Jason Pollen, Storm at Sea, canvas, silk, pigment,

dye, thread, 70 x 44 in.

Taking a playful and innovative approach to communicative mark-making and collage with fabric and paper, this workshop will focus on drawing, painting, cutting, fusing, and hand and machine stitching. We will experiment and explore visual concepts with pigments and organic colorants to create dynamic, expressive artwork. All levels. Code 03TB

Studio artist; former chair of fibers at Kansas City Art Institute; other teaching: Royal College of Art (London), Parsons School of Design (NYC); collections: Kemper Museum (Kansas City), Renwick Gallery (DC); president emeritus of the Surface Design Association, 2012 Penland Outstanding Artist Educator.

3rd Session also includes Sound and Light for Things, a special sound and lighting workshop with Shawn Decker.

Donna Sharrett, Always (detail), rose petals,

synthetic hair, violin bow-string, guitar-string ball-

ends, bone beads, garnets, dirt, shell buttons, rings,

synthetic pearls & beads, cotton shirting, blue jeans,

silk ties & thread, 16 x 16 in.

Learn core needlework techniques that will serve as tools for limitless innovative and visually beautiful joinery in your fiber art constructions. Students will gain a strong understanding of techniques and create a set of finished samples for reference in their own studios. We will discuss historic and cultural needlework and contemporary art that uses needlework. All levels. Code 04TA

Studio artist; New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, Smack Mellon fellowship; solo shows: Pavel Zoubok Gallery (NYC), Cheryl Pelavin Fine Art (NYC), Everson Museum (NY); collections: Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), JP Morgan Chase (NYC), Pfizer (NYC).

Billie Ruth Sudduth, Contemporary Cat's Head

Basket, European cut reed splints, henna and

madder dyes, 11 x 15 x 15 in.

This class will take advantage of a large studio space to weave big baskets--from Appalachian egg baskets to bushel baskets. Color can change the character of a basket, so we will spend a lot of time with the dye pots. We will plait, twine, twill, and create traditional and innovative baskets. Students must know how to twine and understand twill work. Code 04TB

Studio artist; teaching: Arrowmont (TN), Campbell Folk School (NC), Penland; North Carolina Arts Council fellowship, North Carolina Living Treasure Award from University of North Carolina-Wilmington; collections: Renwick Gallery (NC), Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Mingei International Museum (CA), Mint Museums (NC), Mingei International Museum (CA); author of Basket Inspiration; maker of over 10,000 baskets.

Yoshiko Wada, Examples of

Traditional Japanese Boro,

mixed textiles

This class is for artists interested in patchwork, quilting, embroidery, collage, shibori, and painting who would like to engage in a dialog with fiber materials--especially tattered, stained, torn, and worn-out cloth and clothes. Students will learn about traditional Japanese textiles made with boro (rags and fabric scraps) and will reinterpret this folk tradition by creating fabric collages through layering, piecing, sewing, and darning. We will further transform our pieces with natural indigo dye (using organic vat methods) and over-dyeing with tannins. All levels. Code 05TA

Studio artist, curator, and textile researcher; exhibitions: Renwick Gallery (DC), International Textile Fair (Kyoto); president of the World Shibori Network, founder of Slow Fiber Studios; author of Memory on Cloth: Shibori Now, co-author of Kimono Inspiration: Art and Art to Wear in America, and Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped-Resist Dyeing.

Tommye Scanlin, Life Force, handwoven tapestry,

24 x 60 in.

Do you feel comfortable with your tapestry skills yet sometimes face a standstill when developing ideas and images? The what, why, and how of tapestry will be the heart of this class, which will be filled with contemplation, discussion, designing, and, of course, tapestry weaving. Explore your own what (image) and delve into the why (concept). Use the how of your skills and learn new ones to enhance your tapestry making. Students must be able to set up a loom for tapestry and have some tapestry-weaving experience. Code 05TB

Professor emerita from North Georgia College and State University; other teaching: Campbell Folk School (NC), Arrowmont (TN), Penland; Alliance Award of Excellence at Blue Ridge Fiber Show (NC); exhibitions: The Bascom (NC), Georgia State Capitol; membership: Southern Highland Craft Guild, Piedmont Crafts.

Malika Green, Dream Shoes, mixed media: leather,

wood, steel, paint, 5 x 10 x 2-3/4 each

Students in this class will design and construct a wearable pair of sandals. Students will build shoes from the ground up, beginning with drawing exercises and progressing to shape studies and construction techniques. We will use traditional and unconventional methods to develop your artistic vision in footwear. Leave with fantastic new sandals, custom-made for your feet, and the skills to make more. We will make shoes that are not just wearable, but are also works of art. All levels. Code 06TA

Studio artist and shoe designer; teaching: Textile Arts Center (NYC), Penland; Museum of Arts and Design (NYC) residency; exhibitions: Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Cranbrook Art Museum (MI), Dixon Place (NYC); work featured in Nylon Magazine and Eat.Shop.Brooklyn.

Junco Sato Pollack, Kudzu Tea Set,

woven kudzu fibers

This class will use kudzu fibers to explore two- and three-dimensional fiber forms. We will harvest wild kudzu vines from Penland’s back yard, extract fibers, and weave mats using individually constructed Japanese-style twining looms and backstrap looms. Along with learning about this abundant source of fiber, students will explore the link between cordage, basket forms, and woven fabric. All levels. Code 06TB

Studio artist; taught for 20 years at Georgia State University; exhibitions: San Jose Museum of Textiles (CA), Pusan Biennial 2011 (Korea), Georgia State University Welch School of Art and Design Gallery, National Calligraphy Museum (Seoul); collections: Museum of Arts and Design (NYC), Francis Loeb Library Materials Collection at Harvard (MA), Wallace Library Collection at Rochester Institute of Technology (NY).

The new art economy demands crossing the boundaries of craftsmanship, design research, artistic process, and business planning. Students with an existing sewn sample and pattern (at any level) will come together in this workshop for a collaborative product-development session including pattern and construction evaluation, fabric and trim resourcing, spec sheet creation, cash flow and costing, and marketing. Students must bring a drafted pattern and sewn sample to develop in class, plus a computer. Code 07TA

Studio and performance artist, founder of Sew Co. (NC), a cut and sew contracting and product development facility; exhibitions: Chicago Cultural Center, Knoxville Museum of Art (TN), Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (NC); graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Alice Schlein, Wintertree,

handwoven cotton and

tencel, 29 x 14 in.

Develop weave drafts for the shaft loom, dobby loom, or jacquard loom using Photoshop in conjunction with your favorite weaving program. This design method frees the weaver from block constraints and opens possibilities for free-form motifs. It also allows you to create a library of structures to use in endless combinations. Students should be familiar with at least one weaving program and be able to read a weaving draft. No weaving done in class. Students must bring a computer. Code 07GB

Studio artist; teaching: Arrowmont (TN), Penland, and online classes; co-author (with Bhakti Ziek) of The Woven Pixel, author of The Liftplan Connection: Designing for Dobby Looms with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

7th Session also includes Business Time, a special business practice workshop with Phil Sanders.