Boston Flora

Tag: Maine Fiber College

  • Saturday, August 21, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Eco Printing: Botanical Prints on Paper

    Use leaves and flowers collected at Mass Hort to print images directly on paper using a process called eco printing. In this August 21 class at The Gardens at Elm Bank, you will experiment with two forms of eco printing. First, you will learn how to treat paper with a mordant that helps the plant pigments bind to paper. You will arrange plants on your mordanted papers and steam them to capture nature’s beauty. While your first batch of prints is steaming, you will make a second bundle of plants and paper that you will boil with rusty objects. The iron from the rusty objects will bind the plant pigments to the paper. You will leave with lots of prints that can be used for cards, framed pictures, or collages.Mary DeLano is a fiber explorer who loves eco printing, natural dying, stitching, wool applique, and rug making. Mary enjoys sharing her passion for fiber arts with new students.  She teaches throughout New England, including at Maine Fiber College, where she also serves on the organizing committee.  Click here for a class example. This class  registration will close down a week prior for supplies to be prepared. $75 for Mass Hort members, $98 for nonmembers. Register HERE.

  • Thursday, August 19, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Eco Printing: Botanical Prints

    Eco printing is a process that captures plant images directly on fabric or paper.  While there are many ways to capture these images, iron is one of the most interesting and reliable chemicals used to do so.  Iron can be used alone to capture the image, in conjunction with tannin to create a colored background for the image, as a modifier to neutral mordant, or as a dip for the foliage.  Each method produces a different result.   
    In this August 19 Massachusetts Horticultural class, students will have an opportunity to treat (mordant) fabric, with and without iron, so that it is ready to capture the prints.  Students will produce a variety of samples which will demonstrate the many ways in which iron can be used in the eco printing process to capture unique results. Mary DeLano is a fiber explorer who loves eco printing, natural dying, stitching, wool applique, and rug making. Mary enjoys sharing her passion for fiber arts with new students.  She teaches throughout New England, including at Maine Fiber College, where she also serves on the organizing committee. Students will need to bring tight fitting dishwasher gloves, as we will be working with chemicals which will stain our hands.

    $140 for Mass Hort Members, $200 for non members Limited Space, Registration ends 3 days prior for supplies to be prepared. Register HERE

  • Thursday, November 14, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Shibori Indigo Dyeing

    The Massachusetts Horticultural Society will present a session on Shibori Indigo Dyeing on November 14 from 9 – 4. Learn how to create vivid blue designs on cloth.  We begin by twisting, folding, stitching, clamping, wrapping and compressing fabric into a variety of shapes.  Then we dip the fabric into a magical indigo vat to produce shades ranging from pale blue to denim.  Finally, we unwrap the dyed pieces to reveal stunning patterns – both simple and complex.  You will leave class with several pieces of dyed fabric and the knowledge and confidence to explore this exciting process at home.

    Students need to bring small sharp scissors and tight fitting dishwashing gloves to class.  Students should wear old clothes or bring an apron.

     Mary DeLano is a fiber explorer who loves eco printing, natural dying, stitching, wool applique, and rug making. Mary enjoys sharing her passion for fiber arts with new students.  She teaches throughout New England, including at Maine Fiber College, where she also serves on the organizing committee.

    $140 Mass Hort members/$200 general admission. Register at www.masshort.org.

  • Tuesday, August 13, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm – Eco Printing: Botanical Prints on Dyed Fabric

    Record your visit to Mass Hort by printing our plants on fabric. Learn how to combine eco printing with natural and synthetic dyes to create amazing botanical images. In this August 13 class at The Gardens at Elm Bank, you will first dye fabric (a few small samples as well as two silk scarves) with natural dyes. Then you will create a few eco prints by placing leaves and flowers directly on fabric and steaming them to collect images from the plants. Finally, you will combine the two techniques by taking naturally dyed fabric, arranging plants on it, and then covering it with another a different color of dye. The results will amaze and delight you. The class will be from 9 – 3, and is $140 for Mass Hort members, $200 general admission. Register at www.masshort.org.

    Mary DeLano is a fiber explorer who loves eco printing, natural dying, stitching, wool applique, and rug making. Mary enjoys sharing her passion for fiber arts with new students.  She teaches throughout New England, including at Maine Fiber College, where she also serves on the organizing committee.