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Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura
Dec
5
to Dec 19

Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura

Registration can be found here.

Course Description

Onion skins have a secret. They, like many kinds of plant matter, can be transformed into a palette of brilliant colors—dyes ranging from copper to deep mustard. In this three-part online course, we’ll learn how to create natural dyes using everything from kitchen scraps to foraged plants. We’ll begin with the basics, learning the tools and terms needed to get started before setting up a dye bath and diving into the process. Not only will we use food scraps, plant dye powders, and extracts to color textiles, but we’ll also learn how to forage for regional dyestuff, depending on your local ecology. By the end of this workshop, you’ll walk away with a palette of fabrics dyed using local plants or extracts and powders, as well as a repeatable method for creating color from the contents of your compost bin.

Syllabus at a Glance

This course includes three total sessions, each lasting for 1.5 hours on three consecutive Tuesdays beginning December 5.

Session 1 (Tuesday, 12/5, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Materials, Mordanting, and Kitchen Waste Dyes

Session 2 (Tuesday, 12/12, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Immersion Dyeing with Flowers, Bundle Dyeing, and Resist Methods

Session 3 (Tuesday, 12/19, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Immersion Dyeing with Foraged Items, Understanding pH Shifts and making Inks

Materials

Session one will include a deep dive into dyeing materials. Students who wish to dye along with the course in real time will need to gather the materials listed below. Please reach out to experiences@atlasobscura.com if you have any questions about course materials.

  • fiber (any natural materials like silk, wool, or plant materials are a good candidate)

  • mordants (potassium aluminum sulfate for animal fibers and/or aluminum acetate for plant fibers)

  • wheat bran or calcium carbonate for plant fibers

  • a notebook

  • stainless steel or nonreactive metal pot with lid dedicated to dyeing and not used for cooking or food preparation

  • a heat source (kitchen, portable burner, outdoor fire pit, etc.)

  • kitchen scale

  • tongs

  • rubber gloves

  • various spoons or small whisks for stirring and dissolving

  • sieve, strainer, or cheese cloth

  • assortment of buckets, bowls, or vessels for mixing and gather water and making smaller dye baths

Pricing Options

This course is available at three ticket prices. This tiered pricing model is designed to increase access for a wider range of students as well as to support our instructors. In addition to tiered tickets, we offer a limited number of no-pay spots for students who would not otherwise be able to take this course. No-pay spots are selected via a randomized drawing two weeks before each section begins. For more information and to apply for a no-pay spot, please click here. To learn more about our pricing model and randomized selection process for no-pay spots, please visit our FAQ page.

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12/1/23 - Hand-Stitched Oven Mitt with Tatter
Dec
1
11:00 AM11:00

12/1/23 - Hand-Stitched Oven Mitt with Tatter

In this workshop, I’ll lead you through all the steps to make a beautiful and utilitarian oven mitt. The fabric will be embellished, quilted, lined and constructed entirely with hand stitches. This will make a meaningful addition to your kitchen, or a thoughtful gift for the holiday season!

The virtual workshop will cover: stitching and hand-quilting basics, two stitching patterns, construction and lining of oven mitt.

Dates
Friday, December 1st, 2023

Time
12pm – 2:30pm ET

Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants
the day before class.

Cost
$55

Registration can be found here.

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Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Atlas Obscura
Nov
2
6:00 PM18:00

Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Atlas Obscura

Registration can be found here.

Join me + Atlas Obscura for an exploration of quilting drawn from the long tradition of sampler quilts. You’ll learn to create a quilt from start to finish—tracing the history and variations of twelve quilt blocks, including the Nine Patch, Flying Geese, Pineapple, Shoo Fly, Churn Dash, and many others. Along the way, we’ll break down foundational quilt construction techniques such as fabric selection, layouts, basting, binding, and quilting. Whether you're new to quilting, want to refresh your creativity, or seeking a new project, this course will offer a hands-on introduction to the art of quilting for learners of all skill levels. By the end of our time together, you’ll not only have a new repertoire of quilting skills, but you’ll also have the techniques to showcase those skills in a beautiful and bespoke sampler quilt. 

Syllabus at a Glance

This course includes three total sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours on three consecutive Thursdays beginning November 2.

Session 1 (Thursday, 11/2, 7:00–8:30 PM ET)| Piecing

We’ll discuss materials in depth, including fabric selection, batting, thread and more, as well as learn our first four quilt blocks.

Session 2 (Thursday, 11/9, 7:00–8:30 PM ET)| Layout

We’ll learn four more quilt blocks, and learn about sashing, cornerstones, and borders as we plan our sampler quilt layout.

Session 3 (Thursday, 11/16, 7:00–8:30 PM ET)| Quilting

We’ll learn our most advanced quilt blocks, in addition to three quilting styles and two binding styles to finish our quilts.

Registration can be found here.

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Finding Your Stitching Voice with Atlas Obscura
Aug
14
4:00 PM16:00

Finding Your Stitching Voice with Atlas Obscura

In this 3-part seminar, we'll study historical examples of embroidery samplers and create our very own.

Throughout history, samplers have been used to showcase artists' needlework skills. Today they can serve as windows to the past, with each motif offering a clue about the people and societies that stitched them together. In this seminar taught by Aaron Sanders Head, you'll have the opportunity examine these historical embroidery samplers, draw on them for inspiration, and explore how they can be personalized to create a contemporary stitching voice unique to you. We'll build our own stitching skillset, covering 4-5 stitches each class. Beginning with simple, straight line stitches, we'll build on what we've learned to create more complex texture and fill stitches—all while creating a beautiful sampler of our own. Along the way, students will learn invaluable hand embroidery techniques, from managing thread and using a hoop to transferring designs—among other tips and tricks for successful stitching.

This class meets online on 3 consecutive Monday evenings, beginning on 8/14. The class is recorded and can be viewed for up to two weeks after the final session.

More information and registration can be found here.

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Pine Burr Quilts with Tatter
Jul
28
11:00 AM11:00

Pine Burr Quilts with Tatter

Registration and information

I’m excited to be a part of Tatter’s Hand Sewn Quilting Series again this year!

Perfect for the beginner and the seasoned quilter alike (and perfect if you’ve already joined our Hand-Sewn Quilting Primer Series), the Hand-Sewn Quilting Series II takes students on a journey of different forms of hand-sewn quilt construction, from Korean Yeouijumunbo to English Paper Piecing. Rooted in the diverse history of quilting and taught by contemporary textile artists, this series combines enduring quilting techniques with new voices and approaches. 

You can sign up for the entire series, or choose your own adventure by selecting the classes you’re most interested in. 

I’ll be sharing the Pine Burr technique. The Pine Burr Quilt is a unique, textured quilt made from many different folded triangles that are then sewn to foundation fabric in varying patterns. There are many design choices to make, from fabric color, fabric texture, pine burr spacing, and framing techniques, and the resulting quilt – either sewn in rows or in a circular pattern – is a sculptural, individual quilt block that reflects the maker’s hand.

Dates
Friday, July 28th, 2023

Time
12pm – 2:30pm ET*
Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants the day before class

Cost
$60 for the individual class, $350 for the series

*This session will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to all those who register following the live session. This link is live for one month for you to watch at your convenience.

Registration and information

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VIRTUAL - Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura
May
16
6:30 PM18:30

VIRTUAL - Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura

In this three-part lecture series, learn from textile artist Aaron Sanders Head how to turn kitchen scraps and foraged plants into natural dyes.

In this three-part online course, we’ll learn how to create natural dyes using everything from kitchen scraps to foraged plants. We’ll begin with the basics, learning the tools and terms needed to get started before setting up a dye bath and diving into the process. Not only will we use food scraps, plant dye powders, and extracts to color textiles, but we’ll also learn how to forage for regional dyestuff, depending on your local ecology. By the end of this workshop, you’ll walk away with a palette of fabrics dyed using local plants or extracts and powders, as well as a repeatable method for creating color from the contents of your compost bin. All sessions are recorded and can be re-wartched until 2 weeks after the final class date.

Syllabus at a Glance

This course includes three total sessions, each lasting for 1.5 hours on three consecutive Tuesdays beginning May 16.

Session 1 (Tuesday, 5/16, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Materials, Setting Up Your Dye Studio, and Mordanting

Session 2 (Tuesday, 5/23, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Kitchen Waste Dyes, Bundle Dyeing, and Resist Methods

Session 3 (Tuesday, 5/30, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Immersion Dyeing with Flowers, Nuts, and Foraged Items & Understanding pH Shifts 

Register here.

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VIRTUAL - Whole Cloth Quilting with TATTER
Apr
20
11:00 AM11:00

VIRTUAL - Whole Cloth Quilting with TATTER

In this workshop, participants will learn the techniques of big stitch, whole cloth hand-quilting. Whole cloth quilts rely on the intricacies of the lines created by the quilting stitch, rather than intricacies of pieced blocks. 

We’ll begin Week 1 with a deep dive into materials and an overview of historic whole cloth quilts, while learning the basics of drawing quilting patterns on fabric, and the basic mechanics of big-stitch quilting as we make some small samplers. In week two, we’ll scale up, and translate our designs to throw quilts, as we baste and begin our larger works. In Week 3 we’ll wrap things up as we polish our quilting, add binding, learn quilt hanging techniques, and explore archival ways to sign your quilt.

This workshop is perfect for all skill levels—those who have not done any hand-sewing to those who want a new challenge when it comes to their quilting practice. Wholecloth quilts are a portable, versatile medium with infinite abilities to personalize and change for the maker.

Dates
Thursdays, April 20th, April 27th, and May 4th 2023


Time

12 – 2 pm EST


Location
Zoom, a link will be sent to participants
the day before class.

Cost
$165

Register here.

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VIRTUAL - How To Grow A Dye Garden with Atlas Obscura
Mar
2
6:30 PM18:30

VIRTUAL - How To Grow A Dye Garden with Atlas Obscura

Register here.

In this three-part lecture series, learn to plant, grow, harvest, and store native plants for dyeing.
The class happens live on Zoom, and is recorded for re-watching, or if you can’t make the live class.
Class schedule is as follows:
Thursday, 3/2/2023, 7:30–9 PM ET
Thursday, 3/9/2023, 7:30–9 PM ET
Thursday, 3/16/2023, 7:30–9 PM ET

Course Description

Design your very own dye garden, sowing the seeds for a diverse palette of color. Over the course of three weeks, textile artist Aaron Sanders Head will walk us through the process of planning, planting, and maintaining the garden, as well as mechanisms for harvesting and storing dye materials you can use in your craft. We'll begin by discussing options for long-lasting, homegrown color, and we'll create a gardening schedule. Then, we'll cover how to start seeds indoors—eventually transplanting them to an outdoor space. While we'll focus on several typical plants used for natural dyeing (such as indigo, marigolds, and cosmos), the skills you'll learn can be applied to a number of plants. We'll end the course with a showcase from Aaron which will demonstrate how to begin using these plants to create color. 

Syllabus at a Glance

This course includes three total sessions included in this purchase, each lasting for 1.5 hours on three consecutive Thursdays beginning March 2.

Session 1 (Tuesday, 3/2, 7:30–9 PM ET): Planning your garden

Session 2 (Tuesday, 3/9, 7:30–9 PM ET): Starting your seeds

Session 3 (Tuesday, 3/16, 7:30–9 PM ET): Gardening & harvesting

Between Sessions:

While there won't be homework in a traditional sense, participants will need to spend some time researching their zone, seeking out seeds and materials, planting seeds, and maintaining their gardens. If starting a garden in real-time with the course, you should expect to spend around 1.5 hours each week outside of class, depending on how expansive your plans are.

Pricing Options

This course is available at three ticket prices. This tiered pricing model is designed to increase access for a wider range of students as well as to support our instructors. In addition to tiered tickets, we offer a limited number of no-pay spots for students who would not otherwise be able to take this course. No-pay spots are selected via a randomized drawing two weeks before each section begins. For more information and to apply for a no-pay spot, please click here. To learn more about our pricing model and randomized selection process for no-pay spots, please visit our FAQ page.

Register here.

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VIRTUAL - Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Atlas Obscura
Feb
21
6:00 PM18:00

VIRTUAL - Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt With Atlas Obscura

Register here.

In this three-part workshop, learn to craft a sampler quilt from start to finish and explore the art of quilting through a historical and cultural lens. The class happens live on Zoom, and is recorded for re-watching, or if you can’t make the live class.
Class schedule is as follows:
Tuesday, 2/21/2023, 7–8:30 PM ET
Tuesday, 2/28/2023, 7–8:30 PM ET
Tuesday, 3/7/2023, 7–8:30 PM ET

Join me for an exploration of quilting drawn from the long tradition of sampler quilts. You’ll learn to create a quilt from start to finish—tracing the history and variations of twelve quilt blocks, including the Nine Patch, Flying Geese, Pineapple, Shoo Fly, Churn Dash, and many others. Along the way, we’ll break down foundational quilt construction techniques such as fabric selection, layouts, basting, binding, and quilting. Whether you're new to quilting, want to refresh your creativity, or seeking a new project, this course will offer a hands-on introduction to the art of quilting for learners of all skill levels. By the end of our time together, you’ll not only have a new repertoire of quilting skills, but you’ll also have the techniques to showcase those skills in a beautiful and bespoke sampler quilt.

Session 1 (Thursday, 9/29, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Piecing

We’ll discuss materials in depth, including fabric selection, batting, thread and more, as well as learn our first four quilt blocks.

Session 2 (Thursday, 10/6, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Layout

We’ll learn four more quilt blocks, and learn about sashing, cornerstones, and borders as we plan our sampler quilt layout.

Session 3 (Thursday, 10/13, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Quilting

We’ll learn our most advanced quilt blocks, in addition to three quilting styles and two binding styles to finish our quilts.

Register here.

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ONLINE - HAND-SEWN QUILTING PRIMER SERIES: MANX PATCHWORK with TATTER
Nov
17
11:00 AM11:00

ONLINE - HAND-SEWN QUILTING PRIMER SERIES: MANX PATCHWORK with TATTER

In this workshop, participants will learn to make a folded Log Cabin Quilt Block, or a Manx Quilt Block. The quilt block is a unique take on a log cabin block, utilizing a series of unique but easy measurements based on the hand of the maker, making each block unique to the person who created it. Traditionally the fabric was torn, not cut. A simple folding technique gives this block a gorgeous, textural, heavy finish and stitches up quickly. Aaron will be demonstrating the traditional way of sewing this by hand, but stitchers will easily see how this can be done on a machine, if so desired.


This class is part of the Hand-Sewing Quilter Primer Series at Tatter.

Perfect for the beginner, our Quilting Primer series aims to demystify the act of hand sewing a quilt block through a sequence of diverse forays into block constructing. While rooted in quilting’s history of using scrap fabrics to make beautiful coverlets, this series gathers contemporary voices and techniques to give the new sewist a set of skills and the confidence to take on an existing pattern or personal composition.

Exposure to seven unique teachers affords any sewist, seasoned or novice, the opportunity to witness varied approaches even within the same technique. Experiencing the series as whole is sure to provide a comprehensive foundation and will get you well on your way in a joyful practice of hand-sewn quilting.

The blocks from each class can then be assembled together in any way you like to represent a sampler of skills. They would also make great pillows or patches for another textile.

We hope you will join us for all seven of our quilting classes to increase your confidence and skill in hand sewing quilt blocks. You can sign up for the entire series here.

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ONLINE - Dyeing with Goldenrod with TATTER
Oct
1
10:00 AM10:00

ONLINE - Dyeing with Goldenrod with TATTER

Registration can be found here.

In this VIRTUAL workshop, artist and teacher Aaron Sanders Head will share how to coax and harness color from foraged Goldenrod. One week before the workshop, participants will receive a video including information on identifying Goldenrod, preparing and gathering the plant, setting up a space for dyeing, and scouring/mordanting their fabrics, so that you can be set up and ready to dye along with Aaron.


The live workshop will cover dyeing with Goldenrod in a general way, and how to best pass that beautiful golden onto both protein and cellulose fiber in a long lasting way.  Aaron will discuss foraging as a creative practice, and what we can learn from foragers in history. Aaron will also share various pH modifications to expand the Queen Anne’s Lace palette, bundle dyeing techniques, and share how he starts and maintains a dye journal.

Registration can be found here.

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ONLINE - Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt with Atlas Obscura
Sep
29
5:30 PM17:30

ONLINE - Piecemaker: Sewing a Sampler Quilt with Atlas Obscura

Registration can be found here.

In this three-part workshop, learn to craft a sampler quilt from start to finish and explore the art of quilting through a historical and cultural lens.




Join Southern textile artist Aaron Sanders Head for an exploration of quilting drawn from the long tradition of sampler quilts. You’ll learn to create a quilt from start to finish—tracing the history and variations of twelve quilt blocks, including the Nine Patch, Flying Geese, Pineapple, Shoo Fly, Churn Dash, and many others. Along the way, we’ll break down foundational quilt construction techniques such as fabric selection, layouts, basting, binding, and quilting. Whether you're new to quilting, want to refresh your creativity, or seeking a new project, this course will offer a hands-on introduction to the art of quilting for learners of all skill levels. By the end of our time together, you’ll not only have a new repertoire of quilting skills, but you’ll also have the techniques to showcase those skills in a beautiful and bespoke sampler quilt.

Session 1 (Thursday, 9/29, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Piecing

We’ll discuss materials in depth, including fabric selection, batting, thread and more, as well as learn our first four quilt blocks.

Session 2 (Thursday, 10/6, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Layout

We’ll learn four more quilt blocks, and learn about sashing, cornerstones, and borders as we plan our sampler quilt layout.

Session 3 (Thursday, 10/13, 6:30–8:00 PM ET)| Quilting

We’ll learn our most advanced quilt blocks, in addition to three quilting styles and two binding styles to finish our quilts.




This course takes place ONLINE on Thursday evenings (9/29, 10/6 and 10/13). The classes are recorded and distributed and viewable for two weeks after the final session.

Registration can be found here.




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Virtual - Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura
Aug
2
6:30 PM18:30

Virtual - Natural Dyes: Creating a Plant-Based Palette with Atlas Obscura

In this three-part lecture series, learn from textile artist Aaron Sanders Head how to turn kitchen scraps and foraged plants into natural dyes.

Syllabus at a Glance

This course includes three total sessions, each lasting for 1.5 hours on three consecutive Tuesdays beginning August 2.

Session 1 (Tuesday, 8/2, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Materials, Setting Up Your Dye Studio, and Mordanting

Session 2 (Tuesday, 8/9, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Kitchen Waste Dyes, Bundle Dyeing, and Resist Methods

Session 3 (Tuesday, 8/16, 7:30-9 PM ET) | Immersion Dyeing with Flowers, Nuts, and Foraged Items & Understanding pH Shifts 

More information and registration can be found here.

View Event →