Upcoming Community Events
Dyeing with Fresh Leaf Indigo
Dyeing with Fresh Leaf Indigo
Explore several methods for dyeing with fresh-leaf Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria) with textile artist Bethany Hebbard.
In this workshop we will explore several methods for dyeing with fresh-leaf Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria): the “blender” cold-water extraction method and the salt-rub method, as well as techniques for leaf-pounding and stenciling. We will also discuss how to make and use soy milk as both a pre-treatment and post-treatment for textiles dyed with fresh indigo. Participants will practice all the methods presented and will have the option to use these new skills to create a beautiful bandanna or silk scarf. Each participant will receive a Japanese indigo seedling to continue growing and dyeing at home.
Instructor Bethany Joy Hebbard is a knitter, spinner, and dyer who recently moved to the Piedmont from Austin, Texas. While in Austin Bethany was a member of the Austin Weavers and Spinners Guild, focusing on natural dyes in Texas. Since moving to North Carolina she has loved learning which dye plants are best suited to this more temperate climate. Her husband is a permaculture-trained farmer, and together they keep a large garden on their suburban homestead in Jamestown, North Carolina. Since her preschool son and daughter are her typical apprentices, Bethany is very focused on using natural dyes in ways that are child-friendly and safe for home use.
Fiber and Folk: A Weekend Craft Retreat
April 26 @ 9:00 am - April 27 @ 3:00 pm
Fiber and Folk: A Weekend Craft Retreat
Gather with fellow fiber enthusiasts for a weekend of crafting, learning, and socializing in a beautiful wooded landscape next to the Deep River in Franklinville, NC. This two-day event, offered in collaboration with Deep River Folk School, includes:
workshops: two half-day workshops or one full-day workshop (see below for options)
group crafting time
a selection of local fibers and yarns to sample
shared meals (Sat. lunch and dinner; Sun. lunch)
a tour of sites of the in-development North Carolina Textile Museum
optional overnight camping
free time for exploring/doing your own thing
Deep River Folk School is a nonprofit organization that offers practical learning experiences to help you embrace a simpler, more self-sufficient lifestyle while fostering meaningful connections with others. We invite you to join us in this spirit of building community, sharing knowledge, and celebrating the rich human and natural resources that create our region’s unique fiber and textile culture.
Schedule
FRIDAY, April 25
5PM-7PM: Camper check-in
SATURDAY, April 26
7:30AM – 8:30AM: Camper check-in
9AM – 11:45AM: Morning Workshops
Raising Sheep and Goats
Working with Natural Dyes from the NC Piedmont
12PM – 1PM: Group Lunch
1PM – 3:45PM: Afternoon Workshop
Simple Weaving Using Diverse Materials
Wild Edible and Medicinal Plant Walk
All Day Workshop (Takes place during both morning and afternoon workshop sessions)
All About Spinning
4PM Onward: Communal Crafting + Free Time
6PM – 7PM: Group Dinner
SATURDAY 11PM – SUNDAY 7AM: Quiet hours
SUNDAY, April 27
7AM – 10:30AM : Breakfast on your own; Communal Crafting + Free Time
11:30AM – 12:30PM – Group lunch
1PM – Walking tour of the future North Carolina Textile Museum in Franklinville
3PM – Camper pack-out
Camping Info
Rustic camping is available for Friday night and Saturday night for an additional $15 per night. There is plenty of space for tent camping and some limited space for car camping and small camping trailers. Small trailer camping sites need to be reserved in advance, and may not have access to power or water/sewer hookups. Campsites are first come, first serve.
Water and port-o-potties will be available. There will also be access to electricity for charging phones or other items.
Location
The Fiber Weekend takes place at Deep River Folk School in Franklinville, in the center of North Carolina on the Deep River about 27 miles directly south of Greensboro, 65 miles west of Raleigh, and 85 miles northeast of Charlotte. It is in close proximity to a significant portion of North Carolina and points beyond.
About the Deep River (from NCPedia.com): The Deep River corridor is significant for its place in both the region’s natural and human history. It is home to numerous animal species including rare fish (the Atlantic pigtoe mussel and the Cape Fear Shiner), muskrat, river otter, coyote and bobcat, as well as heron, bald eagles and osprey. The river was important to the development of settlements for the Eno, Occaneechi, Shakori, Saura, and Sissipahaw tribes prior to European colonization. And then it became a resource for European settlers, providing the basis for industries such as coal mining in the state’s largest coal field and then iron production, both in Lee County, and power for textile mills.