Art Cloth, Naturally
An Ecoprinting
& Natural Dyeing Retreat
IN 2025:
April 7 - 16 or
September 10 - 19 (FULL) OR
October 19 - 29 or
Tuscany, Italy
Introduction
Art Cloth, Naturally is an immersive experience in creating art on cloth through eco-printing, indigo dyeing, natural dyeing, and various resist techniques. It is a playful and intense opportunity to take your fibre arts to a new level. Working in two-person teams and independently, you’ll have lots of opportunities to hone your understanding and your skills.
Techniques taught
For eco-printing, we’ll start with the basics of getting a good clean print and the elements that go into it. Then we’ll layer on blankets and dips, making sure we understand their beauty as well as drawbacks, and we’ll finish by exploring the effects of pre and post dyeing and mordanting.
For natural dyeing, we’ll look at how to prepare both the cloth and the bath and how to maximize colour uptake. Then we’ll add in various modifiers and explore the use of resists. Indigo, marigold, logwood, and sequoia will be the backbone of our explorations, and some teams will go on to explore cochineal, madder, lac, chestnut, rhubarb, and others.
Towards the end of the retreat, the two techniques will be blended, encouraging an explosion of colour and beauty!
Teaching method
Each day will involve direct instruction, hands-on experience, and individual and team exploration and documentation. In each step, we experiment with the elements of the technique, making sure we both understand how the ‘rules’ work and how to break them!. We will critique the results, sharing what worked and what didn’t. You’ll go home with written instructions for replicating the work produced, and a collection of beautiful unique cloth you’ve made using the techniques covered during the retreat.
Relaxation and Inspiration
The instruction will be balanced with relaxation and inspiration. A series of cooking classes will teach us Italian classics. We’ll indulge in aperitivi by the fireside. We’ll eat glorious healthy food created both during our cooking classes and by our on-site chef and host, Andrea. We’ll head out to local towns and museums. We’ll walk the beach, lunch in the olive grove, and do a natural wines tasting with a local expert. Morning yoga and evening hot tubs will help keep us limber. It’s all the best that Italy has to offer!
Cost
For the 10 days, the cost includes everything: all meals and drinks, all trips and tastings, all tools and materials, train station pick-up and drop-off.
Without accommodations: €1,975
In a shared cottage, single bed: €2,425
In a shared cottage, queen bed: €2,695
In a private bedroom in a shared cottage, single bed: €2,785
In a cottage to yourself, queen bed: €2,855
Partners, Plus-ones, and Families are welcome if you choose a cottage to yourself. Cost for their food, trips, etc: €1,200
Before deciding, I highly recommend having a look at the location where the retreats are held either via their instagram or website. It’s truly spectacular. It is on the side of a mountain, so some cottages require relatively decent mobility to reach.
Previous experience with dyeing or making marks on cloth is a strong advantage, but not necessary.
Would you like to get a feel for how our last Art Cloth Retreat was? Visit Baciarino’s Instagram Page here or here
