Emerging from my ongoing material exploration, the work Becoming has shifted my understanding of what an artwork can be. Through constructing, suspending, and later dismantling it, I became acutely aware of how material, space, gravity, and duration actively shape the life of a piece. Rather than existing as a fixed object, Becoming revealed itself as something contingent—formed through dialogue with its environment and taking on a life of its own, extending beyond the maker’s hands.

 The work takes the form of a silk yardage composed of 216 modular units connected and suspended in space as interlacing, lattice-like panels. Constructed from fused, naturally dyed silk and laser-cut modules measuring 25 cm square, the units are assembled into two row configurations, each three modules wide and measuring 75 cm across when joined side by side. The rows are designed to fan open along one edge while remaining contained along the other. Attached from top to bottom in a repeating A–B sequence, they create a continuous, flowing, S-like formation.

Suspended in space, the panels extend beyond a flat surface, taking on a sculptural presence while still revealing their delicate, textile qualities. The connection points are intentionally non-permanent, allowing the modules to be undone, reconfigured, and built upon. 

Becoming was first shown as two continuous panels, suspended in space. After ten days, the work—consisting of one hundred parts pinned together—was deinstalled and taken apart. At that time, I observed that the once-flat modules had taken on new shapes. They carried the memory of being connected, draped, and hung. Although forever changed, they can continue to be reimagined and built upon.

With gentle coaxing, and steam, each module was shaped into a new version of itself. Through this act of care, I have come to understand the work and myself as being a part of a cycle. Forever evolving, without end… Becoming

 This work will be on display in BEING, my upcoming exhibition at the Alberta Craft Discovery Gallery in Edmonton. The exhibition runs from March 7 to April 18, with the opening reception on Saturday, March 7, from 2–4 pm.

 “BEING by Natalie Gerber positions fibre as a site of embodied research. Gerber investigates patterns in relation to the body through layered silk, cotton, and linen, digitally cut, etched, and structurally supported. The work moves from surface to sculpture, testing density, drape, and tension while holding process as meaning rather than precursor. An accordion archive, material studies, and suspended textile forms trace learning, unlearning, and material negotiation. Works urge viewers to encounter craft as lived inquiry: provisional, vulnerable, and continually in formation.”

Location: Alberta Craft Discovery Gallery 10186 - 106 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5J 1H4 map

Images: Britta Kokemor

Black Sheep Mattress began with a belief that there was a more sustainable and beneficial way to make and sell mattresses. Developed from a growing awareness of the negative health and environmental impacts of conventional mattress manufacturing, the company has delivered an artisanal approach to the industry for over 10 years. Over time, they have grown in their knowledge of quality, sustainability and craftsmanship, continuously expanding their products and services to better meet a person’s sleep needs. 

The company started in 2011 when Christian Schmidt began working with his father Joe to bring Canadians all natural, handmade mattresses, pillows and box springs. Their goal was to create a completely green and ethically run mattress company that was focused on delivering a high end locally produced product. 

“At our heart, we are a small business that places great value on community and connection, considering each partner, employee and customer as part of our Black Sheep family.”

Quality Craftsmanship – is foundational to what they do.

“As a local shop with a small, dedicated staff and a detailed, handcrafted process, each product is made with luxury and longevity in mind.”

Personalized Service – they believe everyone’s sleep experience is different.

“We take a personalized, customized approach to our craft. This ensures that your mattress doesn’t just suit your lifestyle and health needs now, but that it continues to grow with you in the future.”

Community – thinking globally, acting locally.

“We are passionate about paying it forward to the communities that we reside in. Whether this is done by donating items, producing custom products, or creating valued partnerships with local businesses and organizations, we do it often with sustainability in mind. We are striving to build a community that supports local families, businesses and adds more character for the city that future generations will call home.”

Sustainability – non-toxic, natural, and organic materials, sourced responsibly and locally whenever possible.

“Our products are built for longevity, for health, for all of us. We are under the belief that investing in eco-friendly, non-toxic mattresses and accessories doesn’t just contribute to our individual health, but the wellness of the entire planet.”

WOVEN STORIES

An evening of collaborative artistry with Black Sheep Mattress +  Natalie Gerber Studio

Join Black Sheep Mattress and textile artist Natalie Gerber for an intimate evening celebrating local craftsmanship. Experience the launch of custom bedding and a limited edition Natalie Gerber x Black Sheep pillow, handcrafted using natural materials and unique prints.

The evening features a fireside conversation between Black Sheep Mattress founder, Christian Schmidt and local Calgary textile artist Natalie Gerber on preserving traditional craft, supporting local artisans, and choosing handmade over mass-produced. Wine and cheese will be served, along with the opportunity to be the first to place a custom order.

WHEN: Thursday November 6, 5:00pm - 7:30pm

• 5:30pm Fireside chat with Christian Schmidt + Natalie Gerber
• 6:00pm Workshop Tours

WHERE: Black Sheep Mattress Showroom + Workshop, 601 Manitou Road Southeast Calgary, AB

RSVP HERE

“Perhaps, after all there is some part of it worth salvaging – that sense of testing something out, of testing out the limits of our own subjectivity in the face of this work” [1].

Experimentation

I’ve come to understand the importance of experimentation within my practice and how this has become an act of embodiment. The textile work, a response to a crude self-portrait taken with my phone, began as an investigation in pattern and its relationship to my body. I fuse the layers of manipulated, laser cut and etched modular forms to test their density and durability and add acrylic structures or skeletons to experience the limits and capacities of the materials.  Their geometric modular construction becomes juxtaposed with the fibres’ natural drape and asks the viewer to investigate their connection points to discover whether they are pinned, tied, stitched, or digitally engineered.

In response to these tension points within my textile work, I was drawn to ceramics as a means of exploring that relationship further. What began as an effort to shift the perceived weight of the textile forms, by grounding them, led me to further explore porcelain as a medium. Attracted to the familiar yet foreign, and the tension between what the eye perceives and the true nature of a medium, I began to explore this contradiction through a series of porcelain studies. These examine weight through slip casting, luminosity and transparency, fragility, and the potential of creating draped fabric like forms that are traces of the female body.

Shadows

The word passive means to accept or allow what happens, without resistance. Pattern is defined as any regularly repeated arrangement. To break through the constraints and skill set associated with my design practice in textile printing, it quickly became evident that what I was exploring was pattern, not the production and intended outcome or use of pattern. 

I began to create paper forms and stencils to shoot light through in order to use shadow as a means of experimenting with pattern. It was a low impact, “passive” pattern solution: the wall and my body became the substrate, light and stencils the medium, and photo documentation the end result.  

Forms 

In a continued exploration of passive pattern, the paper forms began as studies for a structure that I could step into and pull up over my body. I started by hand cutting models from 12” by 12” cardstock. Once I refined the mechanism, the form was digitally rendered in Adobe Illustrator as a vector file that could be laser cut. Restricted by the size of the laser bed, the module fit a 12” by 12” parameter.  I began material testing by laser cutting a single layer of maximally over-printed linen fabric. The pre-existing layers of print media on the surface of the offcuts created a sturdy structure that could maintain its form when hung and pulled open by gravity. The first single layer tests were comparably soft and droopy. The second test, cut from two fused linen layers, was robust and less affected by gravity.

Drape 

The grams per square meter (GSM), the weight of a fabric’s weave and fibre structure, affected the nature of the drape. The higher a fabric's GSM, the thicker and more hard-wearing it's likely to be. I found that the heavier the GSM, and more robust the fibre or thread, the weaker the laser cut structure was. The tighter weaves from thinner threads had more threads per cm and made for a stronger structure. Furthermore, silk being a continuous filament was stronger, verses linen and cotton which are shorter fibres.  Lastly, when scaled up to six connected modules, the weight of the linen was more affected by gravity than the silk.

Scale 

The interlacing, lattice like nature of the structure, designed to stay connected at certain points while stretching open, inspired further exploration of the modular form. One that could be built onto and scaled up to stretch over the body. Modules were designed to be attached to each other which created the possibility for larger yardages. When the laser cut module stretched open it took on a net like appearance that could be draped, wrapped, twisted, tucked and manipulated in a variety of ways. Edges could be left open ended, to pull apart or closed, to hold a selvedge like quality that maintained the edge.

Colour 

Colour and surface pattern were eliminated at the onset of my experimentation in order to focus on developing the form. The distance allowed me to reintroduce them into the work more mindfully. I chose to use natural materials and dyes, an ethos rooted in conscious making practices and environmental considerations. The final forms are made from off white, red and black silk. A natural warm red or scarlet developed from a dye bath of equal parts madder, cochineal and brazilwood. Madder roots produce a variety of reds including orange reds, brick red, blood red and fiery reds. Cochineal, a tiny, cactus-dwelling insect produces a vibrant cooler red pigment and brazilwood gives a range of strong red dyes, from deep crimsons to pinks. Blacks, or rather deep greys, were accomplished by over-dyeing in logwood and then an iron mordant bath.

Surface 

The surface design was inspired by antique hand embroidered net lace. I created the pattern by scanning the lace and creating a digital vector with Adobe Illustrator from which I engineered a repeating pattern. Inspired by the outcome I then recreated a similar effect from images of cast shadows created by the forms. Repeating digital vector patterns were developed and then laser etched onto the surface of the fabric.

Finally, I explored surface depth through two-dimensional pleating that created permanent peaks and valleys with the modular structure. This was accomplished by developing a pleat pattern mock-up in Adobe Illustrator that I cut from cardstock, scored and folded. I sandwiched the silk between two mock-ups, tightened them together, then tied and steam creased it in a bullet steamer.

Tension 

I designed a clear acrylic hook to display the experimental textile pieces. This led to the introduction of acrylic parts to the forms for varying reasons, from altering them to helping keep their shape. With the introduction of acrylic parts, I began to observe tension points within the textile pieces and the potential for shifting the tension points by adding weight.

I was inspired to create a solid form in response to the soft geometric textile pieces. One that would mirror the silhouette of the soft form and be a resting point or plinth for the work. My goal was to shift the perceived weight of the work by taking the viewers eye away from the hanging mechanism of the textile work above, down the soft form to the grounded weight of the solid mass in contact with the floor.  I drafted a flat pattern for the structure, then sewed a leather container which was then filled and cast from plaster to create a stretched, bulbous like form with seams and a skin texture. 

Traces 

Traces are the indication or existence of something that has passed. The impression of skin left by the leather on the surface of the large plaster form was intended to suggest the presence of the body. Inspired to explore this further, I chose to learn the process of slip casting and experiment with the transparent nature of porcelain. I planned to illuminate the forms and draw attention to the skin impression on their surfaces. I began by creating a smaller plaster version of the leather form to use as my positive for the mold. A five-part mold was then cast from the positive and a series of nine slip cast porcelain forms were created in their likeness.  In reflection, my impression was left on the surface of the final slip cast pieces through the imperfections and irregularities left by a maker learning a new skill set. These traces are in relationship with my body and are an act of embodiment that shows my relationship with the material and the materials response and relationship with me as the maker.

Fragility

As a fibre-based artist I found working in ceramics to be a very vulnerable experience. Over the past fifteen years I have honed a skill set in surface design and textile printing. There was a fragility in learning to be comfortable while I was uncomfortable. In reflection, the nature of porcelain and the way in which I was exploring the medium mirrored these feelings. I tested the boundaries of the medium to understand it more deeply and explored ways of working with it that resonated with my already established making practice.

The outcomes of this exploration are fragile, printed and draped porcelain gestures. They were created by brushing porcelain slip onto silk-screen printed linen fabric. The fabric was printed with minerals suspended in a silk-screen printing base. The imagery on the fabric mirrors the net like structure of the textile work. When the pieces are fired the fabric burns away in the kiln, leaving a trace of the image embedded within the porcelain.  

[1] Hesse, Eva, et al. Eva Hesse : Studiowork. Fruitmarket Gallery, 2009.

In September I’m excited to be leaning into a new adventure, and will begin a Master of Fine Arts in Craft Media at the Alberta University of the Arts. Over the next two years, in this graduate program, I will be working on understanding materials and processes to connect my own making knowledge and experiences with the program's curriculum which is focused on research in craft histories, theories and making.

I plan to critically investigate contemporary textile studio practices and the extended environmental impact of materials used in boutique textile printing studios such as my own. Learning from a broader textile design history, my desire is to expand my knowledge of traditional materials and processes in fine fabric printing and to investigate new technologies and materials for a more sustainable fibre art practice. I look forward to being a part of the craft conversation again and building professional relationships with Faculty advisors and Mentors who are leading theorists, historians, scholars and artists in the field .

Knowing that craft has historically been regarded as a force of social and cultural transformation, I look forward to further exploring the potential impact of this on the greater community.  Alberta University of the Arts is the logical next step that will build on my skills to move my creative practice forward and define the academic context for my work.

Photo Credit: Elyse Bouvier

Find Contemporary textile design – handcrafted in Calgary, Canada. Search through an array of hand printed linen remnants, strike-offs and artist proofs in various lengths from the Natalie Gerber Textile Collection. Perfect for any spring sewing or upholstery projects.

April 1^st 10am – 7pm
April 2^nd 10am – 5pm

Remnant Bundles - an assortment of strike offs, seconds and colour tests from the studio. $35

 Artist Proof / Strike-offs - half meter to three meter prints starting at $25

 Natalie Gerber Fabric Collection - In studio fabric collection 50% off

Unlike fine artists, rarely can ‘fine’ craftspeople command the appropriate recognition or monetary reward justified by the creation of a unique piece of work. In consideration of the full value of materials and skilled workmanship involved, even an “appropriate” price can seem questionable to the vast majority, including those who can afford to pay it. In this respect it seems appropriate to encourage a positive appreciation of the practice in accordance with contemporary perception of time as a commodity in modern society.[1]

It has been two decades since Leigh Mole wrote “Chronomanual Craft: Time Investment as a Value in Contemporary Western Craft” and the term chronomanual entered the craft conversation; nevertheless, the popular undervaluing of time investment continues to plague the craft community. Arguably this is even more apparent in the case of hand crafted yardage (meterage) where end use often trumps craftsmanship in the mind of the consumer.[2] While the works in the exhibition are indeed one-offs, this translates into metres of hand-crafted woven, dyed, or repeat-printed cloth. Significantly, most are destined to be cut, reworked, and ultimately displayed in another form. In an interview with Natalie Gerber, the curator of Cloth in Context she confessed that given her practice focuses on creating printed yardage for the home she would often find herself being regarded as a supplier rather than a creative maker. And yet, for those ‘in the know,’ fine craft demands of its maker that they are the artist, the designer, the craftsman and the technician. Where then, does such hand-crafted work live within a culture that celebrates convenience coming from ‘fast’ design and ‘fast’ making. A culture where traditional craft knowledge and skills have been marginalized by mass production and mass consumption?

Gerber conceived of this exhibition of contemporary surface and textile design by Calgary artists soon after she moved into a new studio, a former classroom located in the old King Edward School [cSpace]. This was a well-considered decision signalling her commitment to her practice. I should explain that her practice began during her art-school-days as a home-based workshop relying on craft shows, word of mouth, and finally an on-line gallery for sales. Her new space is dominated by a very large surface upon which she prints yardage. As one enters the room there are shelves with bolts of printed fabrics, samples, and some finished accessories. The opposite wall houses the sink and shelves containing her tools – this is a working studio. The location, an art-hub, invites not only walk-in traffic but encourages those searching out her work to visit the atelier. To her amazement this space brought with it a perceptible change in attitude regarding her work. For the first time visitors came face-to-face with the complexities of the process and began to appreciate the skill-sets required to create repetitive design. They were suddenly thrilled to discuss the conceptual nature of her work and, to cut a long story short, became discerning collectors rather than demanding shoppers. With this insight the rationale behind the exhibition came into focus - Cloth in Context would create an opportunity to open the dialogue around process and making to a broader audience.

As curator and a maker, Gerber wanted to show not only spectacular examples of contemporary surface and textile design but to highlight the often discounted aspect – the value added to fine craft by the slower aspects of fine craft making. Although working with different techniques, what these makers have in common is that the materials and processes that they have chosen to use exact their own rhythm – indifferent to the speed, technology, and efficiency that defines so much of our modern age. To this end, she decided that the artists, Charis Birchall, Jolie Bird, Bill Morton, Irene Rasetti and herself would keep journals recording their processes – including time investment. Through these notations one becomes privy to not only the maker’s commitment to their medium but their high regard for rituality and the repetitive gesture that defines craft. It is hoped that these journals will inspire a greater appreciation of authenticity and the legacy of fine craft as distinct from the ‘fast’ consumer-driven production that promises instant, if fleeting, gratification. For in these works of fine craft we see that “Each mark made and each word spoken are born of a gesture or utterance through which a fabric of history unfolds, simultaneously both very old and very young, marking a passage of lived time and remembered rhythms.”[3]

Upon proposing this exhibition Gerber deliberated for some time over the title, finally settling on the word cloth, perhaps the most mundane of labels for what curators have spent decades re-framing as unique conceptual works of textile-art, art-fabric, or fibre-art. There is no doubt that the textiles that make up Cloth in Context fulfil the art criteria; nonetheless, by their very nature, they are destined to move beyond the frame and away from the pedestal, for these works have a role to play in the art of everyday life.   

Of one of my most prized possessions, a small piece of faded and rather ragged linen, my niece asked: “Auntie, after you die how will anyone know this is not a duster?”  I’m still laughing – but I have attached a small label. I purchased the fragment, a remnant of yardage designed in 1913 by Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Wolf) because I was smitten by what it had to tell me about the artist, modernity, and the London avant-garde prior to WWI. The first time I walked into Natalie Gerber’s studio I felt this same frisson of excitement as I began to engage with her original yardage. You can only imagine how pleased I am to be asked to contribute this essay – for I believe that this work and Natalie Gerber’s curatorial decisions are helping to move the craft conversation forward.  

Jennifer E. Salahub

Photography by Elyse Bouvier

CLOTH IN CONTEXT
ALBERTA CRAFT DISCOVERY GALLERY
10186 - 106 ST NW, Edmonton Alberta

[1] Leigh, Mole. “Chronomanual Craft: Time Investment as Value in Contemporary Western Craft.” Journal of Design History. 15/1(2002): 33-45

[2] The word consumer is highly charged – while few would describe a visit to a gallery or craft show as “shopping” excursion those on the lookout for functional craft do just that – a form of lifestyle shopping.

[3] Mitchell, Victoria. Between Sense and Place. Winchester, GB: Winchester School of Art Gallery, 1997, 5

CSPACE COVID 19 POLICY
The following precautions are being taken by the building at large:

Sanitizer
cSpace have added hand sanitizer stations at all entrances, close to elevator doors on all floors and in meeting rooms.

Rapid Response Plan
cSpace have written a rapid response plan in case someone falls ill while on site. Their tenants are also required to have a rapid response plan in place.

Sign-in Sheet
cSpace have implemented a screening and sign in sheet for all coworkers and cSPACE staff. This will allow them to effectively perform contact tracing if the need arises. They have encouraged tenants to do the same for all staff and patrons.

Reduced Occupancy
cSpace have removed all public seating. Meeting spaces have also been restricted in capacity.

Stairwells
The West stairwell will be used exclusively for going down, while the East Stairwell will be used for going up.

Elevator         
The elevator has been restricted to allow for only 2 people at a time, and standing areas have been clearly marked on the floor.

Hallways
cSpace hallways are wide enough to accommodate people walking in both directions with physical distancing of 6′.

Cleaning and Disinfecting
In addition to the buildings weekly cleaning and disinfection routine, the staff perform daily cleaning of all high touch surfaces at midday and use a fogger, disinfecting machine, every evening for added sterilization.

As we reopen we want to remind you to stay healthy, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer. If you feel unwell or are experiencing symptoms, like a runny nose, fever, cough, or extreme fatigue, take care of yourself and others by staying home. We appreciate your support!

We will continue to reevaluate these measures regularly and as conditions change.

• fever
• new onset of cough or worsening of chronic cough
• new or worsening shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• sore throat
• runny nose
• headache
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• muscle or joint aches
• conjunctivitis
• severe difficulty breathing (e.g., struggling for each breath, speaking in single words)
• severe chest pain
• having a very hard time waking up
• feeling confused
• lost consciousness
• shortness of breath at rest
• inability to lie down because of difficulty breathing
• chronic health conditions that you are having difficulty managing because of your current respiratory illness
• If you have had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• If you have had close contact with a person experiencing any of the above symptoms or being investigated for COVID-19 in the last 14 days
• If you or anyone in your household has travelled outside Canada in the last 14 days

In The Studio
We have put in place measures to make the studio as safe as possible for visitors and workshop participants. When you arrive, you will be required to sign-in and provide a phone number for added tracing precautions. Hand sanitizer will be available on entering and before leaving. Wipes are also provided for your phone.  All communal items (such as magazines, cups etc.) have been removed. High touch areas will be wiped down before each workshop as well as equipment to be used by attendees. Masks will be provided to workshop participants. Participants will keep their belongings next to their station on the floor. In the event that a participant starts showing symptoms while attending a workshop Natalie Gerber Studio & Workshops has developed a Rapid Response Plan.

In Studio Workshops
All in studio workshops are limited to groups under 5 people, including the instructor, in order to accommodate safe social distancing of at least 6 feet between participants (the length of a bicycle).

The studio is offering private yardage printing workshops to cohorts of 2 – 4 people.  Please inquire for further details.

 “A COVID-19 cohort, also referred to as a bubble, circle, or safe squad, is a small group whose members –always the same people -do not always keep 2 meters apart. The cohort concept encourages individuals who cannot maintain 2 meter physical distance when in group settings to interact with the same people within their own cohort group rather than switching daily contacts or randomly interacting with others outside that circle.”  Alberta Health Service (AHS)

You will be required to sign a waiver before participating in workshops at Natalie Gerber Studio & Workshops. The document will be sent out the week of your workshop, please bring a signed copy with you on the day. If you are not able to print a copy, please review the document ahead of time and sign the provided copy when you arrive. Attendance at Natalie Gerber Studio & Workshops will constitute your acceptance of the Liability Waiver and Hold Harmless Agreement.

All participants are required to wear KN95 masks during the workshop, compliments of Natalie Gerber Studio & Workshops.  For further information about KN95 masks follow this link.

On the Day
When you arrive, you will be required to sign-in and provide a phone number for added tracing precautions. Before entering the studio or Treehouse for your workshop and again on leaving please use the hand sanitizer provided.  Wipes are also provided for your phones. Please sit in designated distanced spots and use only the materials provided to you for the workshop unless otherwise stated by the instructor.

Reimbursement
While we’re sure you will be disappointed at having to miss out on a workshop, it is imperative to put these protocols in place to keep our community safe and not add to the spread of COVID 19. 

In the event that you’re not able to attend or continue to feel unsafe under the precautions outlined above, we will happily refund your workshop cost, less a 5% administration fee.  Alternatively, please consider the impact on our small business and request that we issue a gift certificate for the amount of the refund. This can be used to join us at a future workshop when circumstances change or in store, either at our brick and mortar location or online.

Anneke Forbes is a fashion designer based in Calgary, AB and works with 2 assistants. She creates jackets, coats and blazers with classic silhouettes. Each piece is custom tailored, hand sewn and made with luxurious natural fabrics and leathers. Her work is designed to last and created with sustainable methods to keep fashion waste at a minimum.

PROCESS

The process begins with a detailed sketch, and the art work is then transferred to the computer to be turned into a repeating pattern. The design is separated into multiple layers, one for each colour in the image and each layer is printed as a transparency.

The studio’s silkscreens are coated in a light sensitive photo emulsion liquid and dried. When it is exposed to UV light it will harden onto the screen and become water-resistant. Then the transparency is placed against the emulsion, which blocks out the light preventing the unexposed areas from hardening. These unhardened areas will wash out leaving a stencil on the screen through which the ink will pass and create a print on fabric.

Printing on fabric is achieved by moving pigment across the screen, back and forth from lead to assistant printer, using a squeegee. While The Studio strives for printing perfection, those slight nuances that happen when a product is made by hand are a part of its innate beauty and a witness to the makers’ touch. 

Anneke takes the finished fabric and begins the process of turning it into a finished product. Each individual blazer begins with a fitting. The client tries on the size that most closely suits their body and a fit specialist determines the pattern adjustments necessary. A production assistant pre-shrinks, cuts, and fuses the fabric, then sews the linings and punches the covered buttons on a hand press. Then Anneke takes over with the more difficult operations like the buttonholes and pockets.  She sews the body together, attaches the sleeves, and inserts the lining. Devotion to perfection defines every step of the process which takes approximately 15 hours uninterrupted. Upon completion, a perfectly tailored blazer is hung, freshly steamed and pressed.

COLLABORATION

Natalie and Anneke have been planning to collaborate for years and after sitting down to plan  out their project, they settled on a slim fitting blazer printed with the Alberta Wild Rose.

Natalie says that, “Collaborating with Anneke Forbes, a maker as equally dedicated to her craft as I am to mine, is inspiring. The Bluff Pocket Blazer is both a beautiful piece to have in your wardrobe and part of a story about two women with a greater vision for design in Western Canada."

Anneke’s inspiration for the garment was to challenge herself while creating a classic design. “A blazer is a wardrobe staple and the needs of my client for a perfectly fitting, unique offering inspired this garment. The design is unfussy and therefore the perfect companion and canvas for Natalie's gorgeous print.”

ABOUT THE PRINT

The “Prairie Roze” print is part of the Natalie Gerber ‘FLORALZ’ series, and is inspired by our provincial flower. The Wild Rose is a rose species native to the northern Great Plains and found in the foothills of Alberta, and all the way to the Yukon. While the print was created specifically for this collaboration, a variation is part of Natalie’s spring collection and will debut with new colorways. Keep an eye out for linens, pillows and more home furnishings printed with her new pattern!

Caroline Forde has been teaching workshops at Natalie Gerber Studio since our beginning in 2017, and we’re saddened to be bidding her farewell. Caroline will be moving back to Ontario to further her career in Costume Design. We are excited for what the future brings but we will miss her dearly.  She is well known for her experiments and craftsmanship in natural dyes and her workshops in the past include Printing with Natural Dyes, Natural Dye Pot, Eco Printing, and Indigo Dyeing.

THE ARTIST

Caroline graduated from Sheridan College's Craft and Design Textile Program in 2015 and moved to Calgary shortly there after to complete her BFA at the Alberta University of the Arts, then Alberta College of Art + Design.

Caroline has been tirelessly working at growing her artistic presences! She participated in the Alberta Craft Council spotlight series showcasing her shirts, scarves and pillows. In 2018 she was nominated for an Alberta Craft Award, and has been participating in Fashion Revolution to raise awareness of harmful aspects of the fashion industry.  

Fashion Revolution is, “…here to tell a different story about the clothes we wear. We are designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers, trade unions and fashion lovers. We are the industry and we are the public. We are world citizens. We are you.

We believe that positive change can happen if we all think differently about fashion and demand better. We want a cleaner, safer, fairer, more transparent and more accountable fashion and textiles industry. We want fashion to become a force for good. We believe in an industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.” Fashion Revolution

As a multidisciplinary artist Caroline explores her relationship to cloth and colour through dying, printing, weaving, felting and sewing. While working with natural dyes, Caroline’s practice is highly influenced by sustainability, she strives to create products that are conscious of the environment and customer.

Caroline has traveled around the world honing her skills. At the Harbourfront Center in Toronto she expanded the skills she learned in College. In New Jersey at the Peters Valley School of Craft she surrounded herself with dying, shibori and silk painting. She also was part of a residency at the Banff Center for Arts and Creativity. More recently she flew to the Icelandic Textile Center for a month-long residency where she wove linen and silk on a traditional hand loom. One thing is for sure, Caroline has a need to learn from the best and has brought that knowledge back to share with us in Calgary.

She has settled into the roll as mentor with ease and has been teaching natural dying workshops for 4 years.

Currently her work has been focused on experimenting with natural dyes and pigments through dying and printing techniques. The patterns she creates are hand drawn and screen printed onto natural fabrics.

“I wanted to send a warm note to thank all the students who have participated in my workshops at Natalie's studio over the past few years. It has been a fantastic experience to teach out of Natalie's beautiful space and connect with the textile community around Calgary. Dedicating time to our creative practices isn't always easy, taking a workshop can help inspire new projects and get you out of your usual workspace. I am very thankful that I have been able to share my love for traditional textiles and natural dyes.”  Caroline Forde

We wish you all the best Caroline and we hope you will visit us when you are back in town!

Calgary-based textile artist Natalie Gerber fosters community with her splashy screen-printed fabrics.

A little over a year ago I was approached by Kate Schutz a Service Design Lead for the Calgary Public Library, regarding a project she was looking for help with. She wanted to screen print messaging onto floor mats from industrial felt, cut into bright geometric shapes.  These were to be used in the library’s early learning centers.  The intention was for children to use the shapes for play while relaying messages to parents or caregivers that would help support literacy development.

“The Caregiver Messaging project is a set of eight large geometric floor shapes made of all-natural felt, backed by cork, in bright and appealing primary and secondary colours. On each shape is screen-printed an evidence-based short fact or practical tip for encouraging literacy at home, such as “Count and categorize. Knowing numbers helps with learning to read.

During a pilot test, children used them for a variety of different forms of imaginative play such as tangrams, hopscotch, stacking them to make towers and using them as props, often collaboratively with others, such as for “instruments” in an imaginary rock band! While picking up and moving the large, bright shapes, caregivers were drawn to find out what the children were doing and to help their children. Caregivers read the messages on them. The messages for the shapes were reviewed by Design and Delivery staff for clarity, accessible language and tone. A surprising outcome was the entry point it gave Library staff and volunteers to discuss the literacy tips with the families, as well as to have discussions about literacy (identifying letters and helping to form words), numeracy (shapes, patterns and counting), colors and other topics tied to the play. The Caregiver Messaging project has the dual-purpose of supporting caregivers with literacy tips and teaching children about shapes, pattern and colour, all while having fun and animating our libraries.”           Kate Schutz, Service Design – Calgary Public Library

We used the messaging provided by Kate's team, designed and printed 176 floor mats.  Each mat required nine to twelve coats which used two gallons of ink.  It was a great project but more so, it was an important message and I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of it.

Photography Elyse Bouvier

What does it mean to be left-brained? “The theory is that people are either left-brained or right-brained, meaning that one side of their brain is dominant. If you're mostly analytical and methodical in your thinking, you're said to be left-brained. If you tend to be more creative or artistic, you're thought to be right-brained.” Health Line

I don’t believe that I’m a creative who fits a mold, certainly my personality draws from both sides at certain points.  I’m pretty methodical and prefer things to make sense. I hate to admit this but I’m not that easy going and it takes a bit for me to adjust to change, I have worked hard to refine the specific aspects of my craft and prefer things to be in their place neatly. Although all the engineers in my life would most defintly contest that!

Considering all the above, over the years when my creative friends or books I’ve read suggested to ‘visualize’ the outcomes that I want in my creative career the analytical side was always a skeptic. This year I opened up my business and myself to accepting printing projects, providing printing services and working on collaborative projects.

Although I never advertised, I opened my mind to the possibility (one could say visualized it). In response to that my year, thus far, has been filled with incredible opportunities and I’ve met and worked with artists, organizations and designers from across Canada.  Then at the beginning of the year Alyssa Terpstra, the principle designer of Coco & Jack, a full-service interior design studio from Ontario – reached out through social media!

For this project I was given the creative freedom to design a micro collection of fabrics in collaboration with and for the Coco & Jack brand.  Alyssa provided the inspiration and direction along with her preferred colourways.  I understood from our initial consultation that she wanted the finished prints to have a textured appearance much like block printing. 

So in the spirit of the inspiration and mood provided by Coco & Jack, it was only natural that I explored block printing to start.  I took time to enjoy the creative play which is such an important part of the process and this in turn informed a slew of patterns which I could easily continue to add too.  From that point I developed a selection of prints, Alyssa selected her favourites, suggested some revisions and then we settled on four final patterns to print on cloth. 

Collaboration is such an important part of my experience as an artist and designer.  It provides an opportunity to share and I believe this rounds out my creative practice and encourages me to push my work in new directions.  To find out more about collaboration and our custom printing services contact us here.

Lotta teaches infrequently, to keep her workshops fresh and special, and I was fortunate to get a spot. As a side note, Lotta also teaches and hosts a four-day workshop and nature retreat in Silverskär, which is a remote island in the Åland archipelago between Sweden and Finland, and is definitely on my bucket list!

The workshop space was beautiful, a perfect setting to be creative. It was held at Studio Smith, a photo studio and event space located in downtown San Francisco. There were high ceilings with exposed beams, whitewashed brick walls, and soft and lovely light filtered through the large windows.

 

We started with potato stamping, yep, the kind you probably did as a kid! It’s actually amazing how quickly you can create a design with a potato. Just a few cuts with a knife and presto! you have a unique shape that you can print in a repeat pattern or randomly on your paper. The participants came up with a wide variety of shapes and patterns.

Next up was block printing. This method is what I’m familiar with. Watching someone else teach this technique was valuable. It was also reassuring to see that she teaches very similarly to me! We used simple flowers as inspiration for the blocks. Then we experimented with brick repeats, half drops and all-over repeats. The simple designs of the blocks speak to me and align with the aesthetic of my own work.

We finished with stenciling. I hadn’t used stencils in printing since my undergrad and it was refreshing to try it again. I eschewed all planning and drew with a sharpie directly onto the acetate. Then I cut out the pattern and simply stippled the ink onto my fabric using a handled-sponge. This is a departure from how I usually work, because I usually plan my designs thoroughly (obsessively?). But hey… nothing like the deadline of the end of the workshop to put the pressure on!

We ended the day clinking glasses and munching on yummy appetizers. Lotta provided the most amazing homemade treats and a delicious Cava based cocktail.

Overall the experience was fantastic. I got to take a workshop in one of my favourite cities with one of my favourite artists! What more could I ask for…

Join surface designer Charis Birchall on the 25^th of October in the studio for an introduction to surface pattern design through block printing. Explore pattern with hands on demonstrations teaching the basic concepts of repeat and multi-colour block printing. Find out more here...

This past April the 25^th my day started as it always does, in the kitchen. Coffee, make breakfast and lunches then herd my daughter through the house getting ready for the day and out the door to school.  ‘Sherpa Mom’ collects bags, coats, boots, touques and gloves throwing them over my shoulder as we head out the door for the day.

Thirty minutes later I open the studio door take a deep breath and a moment to shed the morning rush and gather myself before calling into a conference.  I’m meeting with British artist Yvonne Mullock and long distance with Nathan Ball from Fogo Island Shop in Joe Batt’s Arm, located in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador on Fogo Island.

The largest offshore island of the province, Fogo Island’s earliest documentation dates to the 1600’s and a long standing maritime history that eventually sees the settlement of English and Irish to the area in the 1800’s. By the 1850’s settlers were focused on fishing cod until an eventual depletion in stock brought on by factory overfishing in the mid 1900’s. Beginning around the 1960’s and finalized with a moratorium on Northern Cod fishing by the Federal Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans in 1992, a centuries-old way of life for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador came to an end.

I first met Yvonne a few months prior to our phone conference, through a mutual friend, who referred my printing services for a project she was managing for the Fogo Island Shop.  Yvonne’s practice, “spans diverse interests in nature and craft and incorporates drawing, sculpture, ceramics, video, and textiles for both gallery and site-specific installations. Recent interests have explored materiality, thriftiness and care and has manifested itself into a number of projects that have engaged ‘others’, either as participants or collaborators.”  Fogo Island Shop                                                                                      

In 2010, Yvonne joined the Shorefast design team as lead artist for a community quilt project which eventually lead to the production of several printed fabrics. Using imagery from local artists Freeman Combden and Winston Osmond she created patterns for print, to be used in the Fogo Island Inn.

“Shorefast is a registered Canadian charity formed in 2006 by siblings Zita, Alan, and Anthony Cobb: eighth generation Fogo Islanders with the goal to build another leg on Fogo Island’s economy following the collapse of the traditional cod fishery that had sustained this remote island for several centuries.

Shorefast’s mission is to build economic and cultural resilience on Fogo Island. We envision a world where all business is social business, and our model on Fogo Island holds learnings for places worldwide.

Using business-minded means to achieve social ends, Shorefast describes itself as a social enterprise and has spearheaded a holistic set of charitable programs and social businesses on Fogo Island. Charitable initiatives include Fogo Island Arts, Geology at the Edge, a micro-lending fund, and numerous heritage restoration projects. Shorefast is also behind three social businesses, Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Shop, and Fogo Island Fish, which have garnered worldwide attention as examples of business used as a tool to serve place and community…”  Shorefast

At the beginning of the year I decided to broaden my scope of work to provide printing services to clients. What I didn’t expect was that this could align with my passion for community initiatives that support sustainable futures.

The outcome of our meeting on April 25^th was an order to print a series of patterns on fabric for Fogo Island Shop. Five months later the fabrics have been printed and are now in the hands of Fogo Island makers and taking on a new life.

While our morning routines, surroundings and studios are completely different it’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that fabrics printed in the studio here in Calgary are now on the other side of Canada creating opportunities for others.

Supplies Needed:
Ruler,
Pencil,
Cutting knife,
Cutting board,
Tape,
Copy of your artwork.

 1 - Fold your artwork in half both horizontally and vertically.

2 - Number each quarter 1 through 4.

3 - Using the straight edge and cutting blade, slice the copy of your artwork into 4 quarters.

4 - Move quarters 1 and 2 to the bottom and then 2 and 4 to the left side, tape to secure them.

5 - Consider the negative space and adjust the pattern where you feel it’s needed. 

6 - Once you’ve adjusted the pattern, arrange the quarters into their original sequence.  Use this as a road map and adjust your original artwork as needed.

Join me in the studio this June to learn more around printing repeats for textiles.  In this intimate class you’ll team up with a studio mate to develop and produce your own micro collections.  With hands on demonstrations and problem solving throughout the course, you will print two meters of organic cotton/linen and work through the steps from repeat pattern development to screen prep, colour mixing, registration, and finally printing. At the end of this four week course you will have a better understanding of the process, materials and the history of textile printing.

Find out more by following this link...

The town is home to the Icelandic Textile Center and Museum, where I took part in an artist residency. The center aims to promote and develop Icelandic and international textiles by encouraging research and education in the field of textile art and design. The residency provides visiting students, scholars, and artists with working spaces to conduct their artistic practice, research, and study-trips within the textile medium. The residency is still fairly new and has been running for five years, and it's popularity among textile artists continues to grow.

During my time at the residency I challenged myself to work on a project that would push me out of my comfort zone... weaving yardage!  I have taken weaving courses during my studies under the direction of some amazing mentors and I feel the only way to improve any skill is repetition. This residency was the perfect time to stretch my weaving muscles where I chose very difficult threads to work with (fine silk and linen) while learning how to work on traditional Scandinavian countermarch looms. Working on a beautiful old loom was the greatest part of the experience and I was able to adjust to it quickly. At the end of the month I was happy with my results and walked away with both an incredible life experience and some beautiful handwoven cloth.  Not to mention I managed to squeeze in some time to try my hand dying yarns with local mushrooms.

Besides the remarkable old looms, the textile center is filled with amazing women who have a strong presence in the residency and their community. One of these women, Jóhanna Pálmadóttir, the Director/Project manager of the center was raised in Blönduós and took over her family's sheep farm after studying textiles in Denmark.  Jóhanna is passionate about sheep, her country and it's history. Currently she is heading an amazing tapestry project inspired by the Vatnsdæla saga. The forty-six meter tapestry continues to be embroidered by guests and artists. The goal of the project is to revive the Vatnsdæla saga in a modern way, while using the old traditions of hand craft. You can find out more about the tapestry and textile residency here.

I’m looking forward to instructing a three day natural dye workshop at Natalie Gerber Studio & Workshops studio this March 16^th – 18^th. In this workshop we will explore how to create a natural indigo vat (blue), learn techniques to carefully extract madder (red), and work with the historic Osage plant (yellow). I will be bringing some beautiful Icelandic wool skeins for the occasion. Hope to see you there!

 

‘Memphis is the great cultural phenomenon of the '80s that has revolutionized the creative and commercial logic of the design world. Created on the initiative of Ettore Sottsass and a group of young Milanese architects and designers, shortly to be joined by some of the most famous names on the international design scene, Memphis overturned all the existing preconceptions around the idea of "living". With Ettore Sottsass as the backbone of the group, Memphis abolished the creative limits previously dictated by the industry, and Design assumed a new expressivity in the form of new shapes, materials and patterns.’

Having been born in the late seventies I lived through the 80’s and 90’s as a tween/teenager.  There were so many influential musicians of the time and the look can be summed up for me in a few names Cindy Lauper, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince.  It’s my least favorite time in fashion which was really the only thing that I was concerned about around then.

Nathalie du Pasquier, Memphis Group, Royal Sofa 1983

Glam, neon colours, bold and often clashing abstract patterns, we all have a memory of ‘design’ that stands out for us from that era. While I never thought I would circle back around to it in my own work I am, surprisingly, and it’s all due to the recent resurgence of the popular ‘Memphis Group’.

This short lived Italian design collective debuted their first collection of furniture and design objects in 1981 at the Salone de Mobile in Milan.  Their work was characterized by colourful, busy decorations and exaggerated asymmetrical shapes.  Founded by Italian architect, designer Ettore Sottsass and inspired by Art Deco, Bauhaus and Pop Art of the time the group was active until 1988 although their style only became popular internationally in the 90’s.

Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group, Carlton Room Divider, 1981

My upcoming spring collection is very much inspired by the bold colour blocking and busy patterns of this time.  In the studio I’ve been working on some pattern ‘mash-ups’ of the LOTSA series and breaking out of my colour ‘shell’ to explore a palette of turmeric, dusty pink, gold and brick red.  My colour selection is still very much in line with my African aesthetic and influenced by the painted houses of the Ndebele people in South Africa – more to come about that.

Natalie Gerber, LOTSA Mash-Up, 2017

For more on the Mephis Group visit www.memphis-melano.com

A: Growing up my mom always planned crafty projects for my sister and I. After school we always had something fun on the go, anything from drawing, painting, and making beaded bracelets... she was always so great at keeping our hands busy. I was one of the artsy kids in school that excelled in shop and art - if my hands were busy, I was happy.

Q: I had the pleasure of taking your natural dye workshop some years ago and was inspired by your confidence in the materials you were working with.  When did you become focused on natural dyes and what inspired that?

A: I was first introduced to working with Natural Dyes through my studies at Sheridan College, in Oakville Ontario. At the time, my textile professor and studio technologist were integrating natural dye workshops into the curriculum. Thea Haines and Janelle Guthrie shared their sample books and projects with our class and I was completely blown away at the complex colours they were able to achieve. While Thea was completing her MA in Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, UK, a portion of her research was focused on developing methods of printing with natural dyes. So not only did I learn immersion dyeing, I also learned how to successfully print with natural dyes. Thea's and Janelle's enthusiasm and dedication for working with these historic techniques were easy to get excited about. Through these workshops, and my time spent with these two amazing mentors I fell in love with the history, process, and natural dye colours, and I haven't looked back.

Q: Where do you see your studio practice taking you and do you have any exciting plans for your near future? 

A: This summer I lived and worked at the Banff Center for the Arts and Creativity in their theatre department as a Wardrobe Technician. For three months I learned the ins and outs of a wardrobe shop, our team created costumes for the opera, dance, and theatre productions that were in residence. I clicked right away with the theatre atmosphere and working in large teams. You can accomplish so much more through collaboration and many talented hands. Moving forward I would love to start making costumes for local dance collectives in the city. In my own practice, I will continue to work with natural dyes and surface design to create unique garments. 

Q: You’re heading to Iceland for an exciting fibre based residency.  Can you tell us about that and what you’re hoping for in that focused studio time?

A: Yes! I am traveling to Europe very soon. For the month of October, I will be participating in a textile residency at the Icelandic Textile Centre located in the seaside Northwestern town of Blönduós. There I plan to work out of my comfort zone and focus on creating a variety of experimental weaving projects. Iceland is famous for their wool and knitted sweaters, so it makes sense to dive into a fibrous project that focuses on using local materials and colours. 

You can join Caroline in her upcoming Eco Printing workshop before she heads over to Europe.  Find out more about this technique here…

I had forgotten how rewarding it is to connect with others.  Not to mention being a part of a bigger community, sharing knowledge and having the opportunity to build on and be a part of the greater surface pattern design community. When people visit my space and discover that I hand print yardage the common question is, “How?”. This often starts a rolling conversation from questions about pattern development through to the actual printing process.  

There are many ways to develop a repeat pattern and I find inspiration everywhere. Our new fall series ‘ORI’ is inspired by my love of the Japanese resist dyeing technique, shibori.  A year ago I revisited this surface pattern technique after attending an incredible natural dye workshop with Caroline Forde, which led me to think about exploring natural dyes in my own work. I left feeling inspired and spent that summer exploring natural indigo dyeing and various techniques for creating surface pattern from the book Shibori The Inventive Art of Japanease Shaped Resist Dyeing, by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, Mary Kellogg Rice and Jane Barton.

The summer came to an end and I was left with some beautiful fabric samples and endless possibilities for building repeat patterns.  The rest is very simple; by scanning the fabric samples into my computer, I then was able to focus on the marks that really resonated with me and converted them to vector graphics using Adobe Illustrator. The three patterns I’m launching this fall evolved from there and were loosely inspired by traditional Shibori patterns more specifically the ‘miru’ stitched circles and ‘nui yoro’ stitched pleating.

It’s become increasingly important to me to push the way in which I create ‘marks’.  Becoming reacquainted with natural dyes in this particular case was a great reminder that you are always learning and your creative process is ever shifting. 

Inspiration is truly everywhere!

I find silkscreen printing to be a very rewarding process.  I love getting my hands dirty, mixing colour and the physical printing process. It is also a very ‘step’ based process which requires repetition in order to get the results you want.  Starting with creating an image for print, prepping and readying your silkscreen, then making and applying a stencil of your positive onto the screen. Finally mixing colour, printing onto your chosen surface and then clean up and reclamation of your screens.

It’s important to break from the repetition and make ‘free’ creative time to explore and build on ideas.  Last summer was spent exploring the natural indigo vat and shibori, a Japanese shaped resist dyeing technique. My patterns are inspired by marks and so it seemed natural to take those results and build on them.

This fall we’re introducing a new series of prints to the Natalie Gerber Textile Collection ORI. The three new prints; ORI: Line, ORI: Pattern and ORI: Round will be available by the yard through Campbell Dunsmore Group or through our online shop.  Keep an eye out as they will also soon be available in our home décor collection.

This is a focused workshop on improvisational curves. A lot of people are scared off my curves – precise or improvised – but there is no need to be.  Improv curves are the ultimate in liberation. They are as sharp or gradual as you want. Once you grasp the fundamental technique anything is possible. 

What is Improv?

Improv is about the process more than the final product. But you usually get a pretty cool product at the end.  Let go of patterns, kits, single fabric lines, and perfect points.  Embrace wonkiness.  Take pleasure in slashing your fabric. Start sewing without a plan.  You can do it!

Improv and Fabric...

When it comes to fabric one particular piece of fabric can cause you to buy or pull out a dozen coordinating fabrics.  Or maybe you will look at your pile of scraps and want to tackle them in a new and interesting way. What about colour? A monochromatic look is a fantastic way to tackle improv. You can also showcase a favourite fabric while rationing it depending on the technique you choose. 

Join Cheryl and I in her Improve workshop focused on curves tomorrow evening in the studio.  Don't miss out and sign up here...

The search for experimental textures, forms and colour is part of the lure of eco printing. Also referred to as “bundle dying” this technique requires three things: natural materials, heat and a little patience. After collecting a variety of natural materials the dyer will arrange a unique composition onto their cloth.

Scattered petals, leaves and flowers are then wrapped and bound tightly together onto natural fibers like cotton or silk. These bundles are then immersed into steaming pots of water and cooked until the natural pigments transfer onto the cloth.

After the bundles are done dying they are opened and reveal stunning marks. The natural materials leave a ghostly, delicate imprint behind resulting in one of a kind cloth.

You can join me this Tuesday June 20^th at Natalie Gerber’s Studio for an introduction into the world of eco printing. You’ll take away a one of a kind scarf, and various samples to help continue your own journey in eco printing.

There are a couple spots left, to find out more follow the link here...

Jolie Bird is a Canadian artist currently residing in Calgary, Alberta Canada. In April 2013, she received a Masters of Fine Art in Craft from NSCAD University, Halifax Nova Scotia. She is currently employed at the Alberta College of Art & Design as the Educational Art Technician for the Fibre Program. Her work has been shown throughout Canada and the United States including Fiberart International 2013: An exhibition of contemporary fibre art presented by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Fibreworks 2012: A biennial juried exhibition of Canadian fibre art and In The Making: A group exhibition of Alberta College of Art + Design alumni that investigates conceptual intersections between contemporary craft and emerging digital media. Bird’s practice incorporates simple yet laborious techniques that focus on the making while presenting an invested length of time and the transformation of ordinary objects into functional and non-functional precious works of art.  www.joliebird.com

Jolie works with varied materials, incorporating a variety of traditional techniques and I’m excited to have her in the studio for an introduction to this Japanese decorative stitching technique. Traditionally sashiko was used to reinforce wearing or tears in clothes, much like darning.  It can be distinguished by its white cotton thread on traditional indigo blue cloth.

The geometric patterns and motifs really appeal to my personal aesthetic while I find the history so interesting. This surface embellishment was used by rural folk to piece together worn out clothes using a simple running stitch, not to mention that it lends itself so beautifully to contemporary quilting.

Join us in the studio next week to find out more about this beautiful surface embellishment technique and how you can apply it to your own work, or in July, for a focused workshop including indigo dyeing.

Over the spring we ran a series of workshops introducing surface design through a variety of techniques from screen, block and eco printing to natural dyeing and improv quilting.  Along with Cheryl Arkison, Charis Birchall and Caroline Forde I had the pleasure of getting over forty participants excited about manipulating the surface of fabric.

I would head over to the studio every second Thursday evening to either teach or host the workshops with one of these accomplished and talented women. I was overwhelmed by the incredible outcomes every time and can’t wait for the next round that will be starting in June.

We still have a few workshops this month before wrapping up the session but I couldn’t wait to share some of the work. We explored the natural indigo vat, eco printing, natural dyeing and shibori, a Japanese resist dyeing technique with Caroline Forde.  While I was exposed to natural dye during my years at the Alberta College of Art & Design I still get so excited by the vibrant and varied colours you get from mother nature. 

My love for the process of indigo dyeing has been rekindled.  I was reminded how natural dyeing encourages you to slow down in the studio. With every dip into indigo your fabric has a wait time in the vat and then again out of the vat while it oxidizes. Your reward is the varied shades of blue you can achieve.

During this series of workshops I was introduced to eco printing for the first time. This process produces the most beautiful results by simply using various leaves, petals and sometimes even dye stuff placed directly onto the surface of the fabric which is carefully bundled and then heated in a vat. What really appealed to me was the opportunity to create pattern and print, or imprints rather, using plant and natural materials to build up the natural dye colours on the fabric.

It has been far too long since I explored these processes in my own studio practice.  I’m so looking forward to spending the summer months getting reacquainted with them and seeing how this will translate into future work.

My introduction to block printing happened a few years ago when I mentioned to a fellow designer that I wanted to continue my work in surface design, but needed to learn how to do it from home. My kids were two and five at the time, so I was hoping for something I could easily do while being a stay at home parent. Up to that point, I had been mostly doing silk screening, which is a wonderfully versatile process, but requires some specialized equipment that you’re unlikely to have lying around in the basement: a dark room and light table to burn images on your screen, a washout sink and pressure washer, not to mention the super long padded tables you need to print yardages of fabric.

Block printing can be a much simpler method of transferring designs onto fabric (or it can be fantastically complicated, but more on that later). At its simplest, all you need is some rubber and a carving tool to create a block. It can be done in a small space with just your hands and is suitable to all levels of expertise. When I described it to a friend recently, she said, “like potato printing that we did as kids?” Yes, totally!

The earliest known examples of block printing date all the way back to 220 AD. The Japanese ukiyo-e artists’ incredibly refined woodblock prints were popular during the 16^th-17^th centuries and heavily influenced impressionists like Degas and Monet, who carved into linoleum to create their images. Traditional woodblock printing is still being done all over India. Techniques and materials have evolved over the years and now artists use many different materials, including rubber, wood, linoleum, foam and yes…potatoes.

It was suggested that I look into the work of Jen Hewett, a San Francisco-based printmaker. I took an online course Jen was offering and I was hooked. There’s something very meditative about carving into the soft grey rubber while the carving tool blades clink in the handle. You can’t rush block printing; it’s a slow and meticulous process.

I can still make repeat patterns with my blocks, similar to silk screening, just on a much smaller scale. Block printing is also different than silk screening because you are using your hands to make the print and the pressure you exert will change the look of the print, making a perfectly imperfect image. In a world where digital printing can quickly produce perfect textiles, there is a joy and satisfaction that comes from watching your pattern slowly emerge as you print each motif. You get a one-of-a-kind print every time that clearly shows the hand of the maker.

Join me this month to learn how to block print. I promise we won’t use potatoes!

www.charisrose.com

Cheryl is a writer, quilter, and mom. She writes and teaches on quilting, craft, creativity, food, and family. And it all comes from her dining room empire in her crowded, colourful house. From this space she wrote Sunday Morning Quilts (co-authored with Amanda Jean Nyberg), A Month of Sundays, and You Inspire Me to Quilt. She teaches quilting around the country and online via Craftsy and Creative Live. A proud first generation Ukrainian, she is committed to not letting the artistry of food and craft from her heritage pass by unnoticed in the modern age. Cheryl is the mother of three kidlets, and awesome wife to her entrepreneur husband.    www.cherylarkison.com

Q - I’m always so enticed to make when I see quilts, firstly because I understand the effort it takes to get to the end of a big project and secondly because every one of them is so unique. How did you come to quilting and why? 

A - I’d always sewn - my mom taught me as a kid and I was lucky enough to take Home Ec in Junior High. Quilting came later though, while I was in grad school. I would walk by this quilt shop near my apartment and go in to pet the fabric. But I was only 23 and I thought, “Who the heck quilts at 23? That’s for old ladies.” Then my now sister-in-law announced she was expecting her first baby. I figured no one could fault me for learning the craft if it meant making a baby quilt. I took a weekend class, made the quilt, and became completely hooked! It was a compulsion right from the beginning. At first it was more about being an amazing stress relief. You have to pay attention to what you are doing or else you can hurt yourself. That means you tune out everything else. Totally in the present. As you get more comfortable with the skill then the desire to create more and more grows. And, for me, it hasn’t stopped.

Q - I need to make more time to explore quilting and can’t wait to take your class! As a mother of one busy three-year-old to another mother of three kids I feel incredibly inspired by your focus.  How do you design fabric collections, make quilts, write books, teach and manage a family life – what is your secret?

A - There is no secret, sorry. Just a lot of hard work. I’m also the kind of person who does better when I am busy. That being said, The things that keep me sane and productive are this: A) I wake up before the kids. On a good day I can get 2 hours in before they are out of bed. This includes taking time, first thing, for my Morning Make. That is 10-20 minutes of creating before I consume. Pure creative time just for me. Then I am focused and ready to get some work done. B) Playdate swaps save my life! I live in an amazing community where we all help each other out with childcare and friendships. When deadlines are looming I know I have friends to call on. Then they can call on me when they need it. C) I don’t watch that much TV. Don’t get me wrong, I love some trashy shows and late night, but I can go days without watching anything. Those are the days I get a lot done in the evening. D) Speaking of TV I’ve become very adept at working to the soundtrack of PBS Kids. E) I embraced meal planning and a visible family calendar.   Truth be told, I don’t always feel like I am managing it. Some days I am cranky that I can’t work more, other days I wish I could just play at the park or work out without thinking about how the schedule for after school looks. But I take it one day, one week at a time.

Q - While my family comes first and I know it’s so important to have balance in life, I sometimes forget that in my own artistic practise. I could easily get lost in printing yardage and developing my collection that I forget to make time for creative freedom. At the moment I’m really excited about natural dyes and although it’s not part of my day-to-day studio practise I’m making time to explore it purely for the joy of discovery.  Is there something outside of your practise that you’d love to explore further and why?

A - People used to ask me if I scrapbooked - back when it was really popular - and I had the same answer: I already have one expensive and time consuming hobby! Now that my hobby is my business, however, it is a different story. You’re right, it is absolutely important to make time for creative freedom. I do this two ways. One, my Morning Make is no obligation sewing/writing. I just do it for the sake of doing. In these daily snippets I can explore, play, and actually make some good progress on projects. Two, if there is something outside of sewing I want to try I bring my kids into it. We all experiment together! It means some quality time together and creative freedom for all of us.

Q - Do you have any tips for new mums on how to make time for the studio and how to stay true to your creative self?

A - Well, if you are a brand new mom, I say to embrace that for a little bit. At least until you are out of the sheer survival phase. After that, sleep training earlier rather than later so you can find a little bit of predictability in your routine. For me, I truly became my most creative self when I became a mother for the first time. It was about being honest with who I really was to model that for my girl (then the other two kids) and the fact that she slept a lot. I had mat leave and a good napper (thanks to our hard work), which meant I had time. That’s when I truly began exploring quilting and returned to writing. 

Q - Lastly what tool in your studio can you not do without - why?

A - The obvious answer is my sewing machine! After that, I would say my design wall. For a long time I sewed in the dining room. The same space where we ran a business, ate, and even all three of our kids slept at the beginning of their lives. So if I wanted to lay out a quilt I used the floor or our bed. But it meant there wasn’t a lot of exploration and play. Sewing, yes, but not experimentation. Everything had to be packed up when someone woke from a nap or I wanted to go to bed. Having a design wall now means I can play a lot more, ruminate on a design, and truly embrace improvised quilting. It’s a total game changer.

If you weren’t able to sign up for her improv quilting class – not to worry!  It was so popular that we decided to run it again and we have a couple spots available on the 4^th of April!  Find out more here!

See you there!