Workshop Organic retreat featuring textile workshop with India Flint 'Return to Fields' 2nd-7th February 2011

WORKSHOP Description: Code IFNZ02

As our Waitangi farm workshop March 2010 was enjoyed so much, we have created a space to continue our exploration of the natural environment led by India Flint. We are using textiles as an expression of appreciation of mother nature's colours. Eco dyeing, printing, stitching, colour and collecting will be part of this workshop.

This is a residential only event, arriving one evening, sleeping then starting with a pamper day for all participants. This event is limited to 12 workshop attendees and 2 workshop assistants. As in 2011 accommodation is basic but comfy, caravans will again be used for sleeping qaurters. All participants need to arrive between 5-8pm 2nd February 2011. Pamper day on the 3rd, and 4 wonderful textile exploration days follow.

Day 1, Thursday 3rd February. Beach morning - Yoga, massage, beach walk. Sleep in the afternoon, relax. A guided farm walk in the twilight, an evening light meal and film.

Day 2, Friday 4th February Commencing four days of textiles - Exploring colours of our natural world, with India Flint. This is the start of a four day process to create textural items using plant fibre, dyed materials, felt. Stitch shapes and work them into texture.

Day 5, Monday February 7th - the concluding day programme will wind up at 2.30pm, with a barbeque lunch. Participant transport to Auckland airport will leave Waitangi farm 4.30pm that day. Transport is available to Auckland from the airport if you are continuing to other destinations.

Retreat fee: $NZD1750.00 This fee includes a starter goodie pack, containing 100gr mixed silk textiles, 200gr mixed fibres and 200gr prefelt, plus one hank of India Flint's speical silk cotton stitch thread. Airport collect (provided you can arrive within our pickup time, or a taxi will be needed at other times.) one massage, one yoga session, all meals (we do healthy food, some cakes, vegetarian options), refreshments, one glass of wine with meals. This fee does not include any other travel.

You may be aquainted with the work of the accomplished India Flint, if not please see her website here.

Complex Cloth is the laying stitching and eco dyeing of different types of cloth, then treating these in the same way to get different colours: You can stitch new and old or both together, to create a wealth of useable beauty from things once useless.

The ecoprint is a water-based printing process used to apply colour to cloth from plants. It uses relatively small quantities of plant material in a recycled dye-bath and requires no adjunct mordants when protein fibres such as silk or wool are used. Dyes from plants are a renewable resource, whereas synthetic dyes derived from petrochemicals or fossil sources such as coal, are not. Plant dye-making links art and science, historically embracing botany and medicine as well as an appreciation of chemistry.

Literally every plant in the world will have some sort of colour to offer the dyer. There are at least as many subtly different hues as there are plant species in the world, and an infinite range of colours and shades to be had

Email us to express your interest