We are excited to open our creative season of 2017 with a special two day workshop by the highly talented designer maker Lola Lely! Join her on two consecutive Sundays (Day 1 Sunday 12th February 11:00 - 14:00 and Day 2 Sunday 19th February 11:00 - 14:00) for an intimate maker session with lots of individual guidance. She will introduce you to the ancient Japanese technique of Shibori indigo dyeing and help you make a unique apron from material dyed by you in a design of your own taste.
As Lola explains:
" 'Shibori' is a Japanese term for dye-resist techniques of binding, clamping or gathering cloth so that the dye cannot reach certain parts. The word comes from the Japanese verb 'shiboru' - to wring, squeeze or press, and would be used to describe wringing out the washing or the cloth.
Shibori was originally an art of the poor. In feudal Japan, many people could not afford to buy expensive fabrics like cotton or silk, so clothes were often made of cheap hemp fabrics. People could not afford to replace clothes regularly either, so they would repair and redye them, and the art of Shibori evolved as a means of making old clothes look new.
The special characteristic of Shibori resist is a soft- or blurry-edged pattern. The effect is quite different from the sharp-edged resist obtained with stencil, paste and wax. With Shibori the dyer works in concert with the materials, not in an effort to overcome their limitations, but to allow them full expression.
An element of the unexpected is always present. Chance and accident give life to the Shibori process and this is its special magic and strongest appeal."
Lola has designed this two day workshop as an introductory course, so no previous experience of fabric dying or garment making is needed. She will take you through all the stages of fabric folding, indigo dyeing, washing, pattern cutting and apron making. On Day 1, you will produce a number of patterned fabric pieces, and on Day 2 you will make an apron from your own fabric.
All materials and equipment are provided.
Please note that we are happy for children aged 14+ to participate in the workshop, if they are accompanied by an adult.
Click here to book your ticket(s) through Eventbrite.
Any questions, please send us a message.
About Lola:
Lola Lely is an artist, designer and maker based in Walthamstow, East London. Born in Vietnam, Lola grew up and studied in the UK. She holds a Masters in Design Products from the RCA. In 2012 she founded her own mutli-disciplinary art practice, Lola Lely Studio. Over the last year, Lola developed a deep interest in traditional indigo dyeing techniques, Shibori in particular. To introduce and communicate her passion for these practices to others, she designed this workshop, which she has previously run in the UK and in Morocco.