Treenway Silks | Workshops & Lectures


Lectures & Workshops by Karen Selk, Treenway Silks Founder Karen Selk leads a variety of workshops including weaving and embellishing with silk, silk fusion and travels in Asia. See below for descriptions. Karen will be leading these workshops and presenting these lectures:

October 17 – 19, 2011	Maiwa Textile Symposium Vancouver, BC WORKSHOP: Silk Fusoion www.maiwa.com Email: maiwa@maiwa.com
March 2, 4 & 4, 2012	Weavers' Guild of St. Louis St. Louis, MO WORKSHOP: Silken Kaleidoscope Website: www.weaversguildstl.org
April 27 – May 1, 2012	2012 National Creative Fibre Festival Blenheim, New Zealand WORKSHOP: Silken Kaleidoscope LECTURES: Website: http://fibrefestival2012.blogspot.com/p/what-when-and-where.html Email: fibrefestival2012@gmail.com Tel: +64 3 357 1919
May 2 – 5, 2012	Wellington Weavers Guild Wellington, New Zealand WORKSHOPS: Silken Kaleidoscope, Embellishing
March 31, 2013	Whidby Island Weavers' Guild Spin-In Whidby Island, WA LECTURE: Website: www.whidbeyweaversguild.org/guild.html Email: info@whidbeyweaversguild.org

SILKEN KALEIDOSCOPE - 3 days - Intermediate level Cloth is capable of a wonderful depth, brilliance and richness of color that cannot be obtained on a painted surface, due to the interaction of fibre structure, weave pattern, color and light. Through a series of woven samples and color challenges using yarns we will explore color as it relates to woven fabric. Participants will work with effective and practical techniques to realise greater satisfaction with your color and cloth. You will arrive with looms pre-warped (threading provided by instructor) for eight different weave structures appropriate for apparel ensembles. The samples combine silk with a variety of other fibres while investigating different aspects of colour and cloth structure. Everyone will receive a comprehensive binder containing color, silk and structure information.
SUMPTUOUS SILK CLOTHING - 3 days - Intermediate level Participants will work with all aspects involved when designing a silk garment. You will arrive with looms pre-warped (threading provided by instructor) for eight different weave structures appropriate for a variety of silk clothing. During the workshop, you will weave samples and make a muslin garment of your choice and work with sophisticated clothing design. Lectures will include appropriateness of various silk yarns for clothing, washing and sewing handwoven silk. You will be equipped with practical knowledge and confidence to go home and weave a successful silk garment. Everyone will receive a comprehensive silk binder containing silk, clothing and structure information.
SILK FUSION / SILK PAPER / SILK FELT - All levels Whatever you call it, it is exciting and beautiful. Innovative, rich in lustre, smooth or textured surface describe fused silk felt. A spectrum of unspun silk fibres will be arranged and fused with adhesive medium to produce a "felt" of varying thicknesses. Silk fused fibres can be crinkled while wet and hold its shape. Other fibres, feathers, and ribbons can be incorporated into the silk "felt". It becomes a perfect canvas for machine or hand stitching, quilting, three dimensional sculptures, jewellery, wearable art, book coverings, collage and on and on. 2½ hours - 1 day We will make one or two pieces to be taken home to dry. 3 days Participants will make numerous samples and then be provided with patterns for hats, bags and boxes. Embellishing techniques and ideas will be applied to the completed accessories. The possibilities are endless with this new medium.
ARTFUL EMBELLISHING - 1-3 days - All Levels Stitches, beads, threads, ribbons, cords, tassels, cocoons, feathers, lace and other riches will be used to learn artful finishes to adorn your work. Participants will build a palette of colours and textures from their treasure boxes to create a sampler of varied techniques. In the longer workshops, participants can bring unfinished projects so we can get started during our workshop to lay a plan for ornamentation.

TEXTILE JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA India is a country of little money and many hands with an ancient history and rich tradition of textiles. Making and embellishing cloth by hand, continues to be a main stay of the economic, social and ecological fabric of this land. The slide images will journey through: the silk rearing region of Bangalore; the dessert state of Gujarat where the world famous warp and weft Petolas are woven; Kashmir, to see the process of making Pashmina, the highest quality cashmere cloth and wild silk rearing in the jungles of Orissa and Assam.
SILK TRAVEL VIGNETTES OF ASIA Karen invites you to participate in the lives, hardships and joys of the cloth artisans of Asia. The journey will be led through an extravaganza of visual images, handcrafted cloth and revealing tales of silkworm rearing, yarn making, dyeing and timeless weaving techniques. Gain insight into cultural traditions and sustainable cottage industry development in villages scattered throughout Thailand, Laos, India, Burma, China and Bhutan.
WEAVING: A STORY OF SURVIVAL IN LAOS Laos may be one of Asia's least developed countries, but one of the richest in textile diversity and traditions. Many weavers and treasured cloth disappeared during the disruption of the Vietnam war. Karen will recount her rewarding experiences working with a Lao cottage industry of dedicated weavers and dyers working hard to keep weaving vital and a viable vocation. She invites you to share her respect and fondness for a gentle people and culture during a journey of slides and cloth into villages and the workshops she has attended.
SILK FUSION FELT Innovative, rich in lustre, smooth or textured surface describe fused silk felt. Silk fusion is a unique process that bonds silk fibres intoa kind of "felt" which can be gossamer and transparent or thick and opaque like leather. Because the fibres are unspun, silk's rich lustre and texture are captured in this exciting new medium which becomes a perfect canvas for machine or hand stitching, printing, origami, quilting, jewellery, wearable art, book coverings, collages and on and on. Karen will explore the endless possibilities of Silk Fusion through slides and finished work.
FASCINATING SILK SAGA The history and creation of luxurious silk has intrigued young and old alike through the millennia. Karen will relay her adventures while stalking the silkworm through Asia as well as her own kitchen. The lifecycle, care and feeding of the caterpillar affects the quality and therefore preparation of the cocoons for yarn. Comparisons of these methods will be made using slide images from throughout Asia as well as tangible samples. A glimpse of the jungles in India will relate how the rearing of wild silks is still a very important part of tribal life. The information will allow you to more skillfully choose the most appropriate silk yarn for your projects.
If you are interested in any of Karen's offerings, please contact her at karen@treenwaysilks.com for further information.