Humans have been creating textiles (materials created by interlacing fibers) for tens of thousands of years, and although these days most fabrics are made in bulk in factories, there are individuals who continue the art — weaving, felting, and dyeing, to name a few — of constructing textiles, either as cottage industries or simply as hobbies. This week, Santa Barbarans have a chance to participate in two different workshops with textile making as their focus.
On Monday, September 11, at 6-8 p.m., SBCAST (513 Garden St., Ste. E., sbcast.org) welcomes Porfirio Gutierrez, an expert on traditional Zapotec textiles who will show attendees how to dye fabric with natural indigo. The azure plant substance, once called blue gold for its rarity, changes flaxen-colored fibers into a rich, breathtaking hue.
If learning how a skein of yarn is made into felt sounds interesting, check out Art From Scrap’s wool felting class, which takes place Friday, September 8, at 6-8 p.m., at 302 East Cota Street. Artist Laura Denny will teach attendees how to felt wool into beads and small animals. Art From Scrap also offers a weaving workshop on Saturday, September 9, at 10 a.m.-noon; visit exploreecology.org for more information.