Learning Center Purpose & Vision

Fibershed has felt the need for some time to create a grounding force that serves in our effort to enliven our community’s connection to regional and regenerative fiber and dyes. We are grateful to have an opportunity to hold space for activities and community resources. The Learning Center:

• Serves key hands-on textile education opportunities for the public
• Supports a demonstration farm for growing materials and showcasing how earth pigments can be grown and processed, along with food and medicine
• Hosts public presentations and intentionally designed gatherings that focus on bringing people together to learn and discuss the greatest and most concerning issues of our time
• Offers direct opportunities to engage in climate and cultural solutions that we can work together to activate at the local level
• Houses a living library of our bioregional textile culture that exists as a feature for students, designers, and makers, and will house a natural dye and fiber seed library
• Provides a multi-use space for core organizational functions, including our staff and board meetings and strategic planning

Hands-on Workshops
In-person workshops are ongoing. See the list below for links to register as they become available. Proceeds from each event support the class instructor and contribute to Fibershed for educational programming.

Tuition Scholarships & Transportation/Childcare Stipends
Fibershed is offering two scholarships to most workshops; one scholarship if it’s a small class. In addition to scholarships for tuition, we are offering a limited number of stipends for transportation and/or childcare. If you would not otherwise be able to attend, and would like to be considered as a scholarship and/or stipend recipient, please answer a few brief questions on this Google Form. Responses will be reviewed by Learning Center staff and kept strictly confidential.

Mailing List
If you would like to join the Learning Center mailing list to be notified of upcoming events—or any of the other Fibershed mailing lists—scroll down to the form at the bottom of the page.

Volunteering
Volunteers are welcome into our beautiful natural dye and pigment garden to help with various gardening tasks like mulching, weeding, maintaining our hedgerows, watering, harvesting dye flowers to dry, and more! Email maria@fibershed.org for more information.

Fibershed Learning Center In-Person Workshops

ENROLLMENT OPEN:

Ongoing: Mending Bar Happy Hours with Heidi Iverson (Honeyfolk Clothing) and Allison Reilly
Fourth Thursday of every month, 4-7 p (rolling arrival times)
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/265319125647

Learn Sewing Basics & Sew a Tote Bag with Pia Andersson
1-day workshop: Sunday, February 5
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/467063277837

Willow Tatza Weave Baskets with Charlie Kennard
1-day workshop: Sunday, February 19
Enroll or join waitlist here: eventbrite.com/e/487400727697

Mushroom Dyes of the Northern California Fungal Fibershed with Alissa Allen
An immersive 3-day course: Friday-Sunday, March 3-5
Enroll or join waitlist here: eventbrite.com/e/483987127527

Papermaking from Scratch using local plant fibers with Jane Ingram Allen 
2-day workshop: Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/473025982447

Spinning with Fiber Circle Studio + Natural Dyes with Heidi Iverson
Saturday, March 25 — spinning taught by Alisha Bright at Fiber Circle Studio
Sunday, March 26 — natural dyes taught by Heidi Iverson at Fibershed Learning Center
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/515298390357

Parent/Child Class: Family Needle Felting for Beginners with Robyn Smith
half-day workshop: Sunday, March 26, 10 am to 2 pm
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/528986200967

Making a Tule Basket with Rimiko Berreman
1-day workshop: Sunday, April 2
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/501117424707

Eco Printing with Cory Gunter Brown of Earth My Body
2-day workshop: Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/516975275967

Flax Processing with Chico Flax
1-day workshop: Saturday, May 6
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/490876895007

The Magic of Twill in Basketry with Charlie Kennard
1-day workshop: Saturday, May 6
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/501340782777

Indigo Dyeing with Aboubakar Fofana
3-day workshop: Friday through Sunday, June 2-4
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/500430851147

Fermented Mineral Mud-Dyeing with Aboubakar Fofana
3-day workshop: Friday through Sunday, June 9-11
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/501022089557

Weaving on a Mayan Backstrap Loom with Sari Monroy Solís
1-day workshop: Sunday, June 25
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/515848666247

Fine Twined Basket with Charlie Kennard
1-day workshop: Sunday, July 16
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/501362577967

Making a Tule Boat with Charlie Kennard
2-day workshop: Saturday & Sunday, September 9-10
Enroll here: eventbrite.com/e/503126363497

ENROLLMENT COMING SOON:

Sewing a Japanese Happi Coat with Rimiko Berreman
2-day workshop: Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30

Sewing T-shirts with Gynna Clemes (using Colorganic Cotton from Sally Fox and the new Cotton/Wool Collaborative Cloth from CA Cloth Foundry and Lani’s Lana)
1-day workshop: Spring date TBD

Creating Sculptures of Handmade Paper with Michelle Wilson
2-day workshop: July 15-16

Sewing sweatpants/joggers with Gynna Clemes
1-day workshop: Sunday, August 6

Indigo Extraction Process with Judi Pettite
1-day workshop: Saturday, September 9

Paint Making from Lakes and Mineral Pigments with Judi Pettite
1-day workshop: Sunday, September 10

Botanical Printing with Mayumi Fujio
1-day workshop: September 24

More workshops to be scheduled. The list will be updated with links to register as they become available.

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