The Intersection of Weaving and Dyeing
Although weaving and dyeing are two distinct textile skills, the combination and integration of these processes one can vastly expand a design vocabulary. The result is a more complex and personalized finished textile. Applications for these weave/dye combinations include ikat, woven shibori, and cross dyeing. The primary focus of this talk will be the use of natural dyes, but synthetic dye use is also applicable. Catharine will share her thought process, her dye choices, and talk about the evolution of her woven and dyed work over more than 40 years.
Catharine Ellis has been a weaver and a dyer for over 40 years. After three decades of teaching the Fiber Program at Haywood Community College in NC she is now dedicated to studio work, focusing on natural dye processes. She also does specialized, selected teaching, in the U.S. and internationally. Recent projects include teaching natural dyeing in Guatemalan through Mayan Hands.
Catharine is the originator of the woven shibori process and author of the instructional book, Woven Shibori (Interweave Press, 2005) and The Weaver’s Studio – Woven Shibori: Revised and Updated (Interweave Press, 2016). Her most recent publication is The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results (2019). All three books are available to borrow from the guild library.