TETT CENTRE for Creativity and Learning is not quite ready to open the doors for classroom training fun in Phase 1 of our Covid-19 recovery in Kingston, ON - but my workshops postponed are booked for mid to later June - COME PLAY!

Just a note once again to say that unfortunately, The TETT Centre is NOT yet open for classroom experiences together and my DYE DAY CLASS has been postponed once again until JUNE 20th - a full month away...

To my pre-registered students, I am again so sorry and hope you will plan to join me in the Rehearsal Hall at the TETT and enjoy a day when we can safely distance and yet, be together for a play date with brilliant Colour on Cloth.  The dyes are measured and ready to go... so am I, eagerly awaiting the time to be with all of you once again!

(and to my March, April and May pre-registered students, if you prefer a refund of your class fees, just drop me a line at garner[at]kingston.net
Otherwise, your seats are saved!!) 

And, I have booked an Indigo Dye Day for June 14th at the TETT, with all of my fingers crossed that we can get some fun in at the Rehearsal Hall which gives us lots of space for self-distancing and details are here:

I hope you will join me for either or both of the workshop days as we start once again to invite our friends to the TETT CENTRE for Creativity and Learning.

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And just for fun... little follow up on what I have been up to and a short rant (smile)...

Here we are on the 20th of May, 2020 and the month has sped by again. Days and days of early morning walks and my Fitbit says that I walked 91,472 steps and 41.7 miles just last week, accompanied by my hubby, Dale. Great time for sharing and lots of inspiration in the local woodlands north of Kingston, ON.

A KP Trail hike near Sydenham, ON last week - the rock cuts display beautiful moss and ferns are emerging along with small wildflower groupings.

We love the songs of the many birds, sighting the occasional porcupine up a tree and are dismayed by lots of runners and cyclists cruising by with NO FACEMASKS. As our senior neighbors and friendss (and everyone really) hit the trails for peace of mind and some outdoor exercise, we all need to remember that they need protection from of those who are breathing hard, mouths wide open, and often far too close for physical distancing compliance.

I have several wonderful patterns for handmade masks I am happy to share!

There, I have had a bit of a rant, but do please all be cognisant of the dangers that even someone with no obvious symptoms of Covid-19 display - we can all be possibly sharing the virus.

  

The trillium are glorious in local woodlands

Waterfall from a cliff at the edge of local farmland that provides some relief from dry days for the cattle... though our now dry days will turn off the falls along the trail soon...

This Mom and babe were among a herd that stood well above us as we walked and were undaunted by the many visitors enjoying a beautiful spring day.

I have been at the TETT Centre several days every week and making facemasks, doing a bit of weaving, and attending lost of great ZOOM meetings with friends across the city, the Province, and indeed around the world. That is solace, but knowing that it will still be a while before we can see our great friends in person and a long while before anyone will accept a hug again is sad.

Be well and safe great friends...
bethany

Hi everyone...

Well, the bad news came today that MAY 3, 2020 will NOT find me at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning sharing my DYE PLAY workshop with my awesome students. The Centre will likely not open to classroom teaching until the last week of May if not the first of June.

Kingston is doing very well in the Covid-19 physical distancing and all of the closures and "Stay at Home" rules have been working - we have NO CASES of Covid -19 in our hospitals or Seniors homes in Kingston, ON... and that is a blessing we can all support! The premier of Ontario is telling all of us loud and clear that Ontario will stay committed to saving our communities and Residents from the virus threat for at least another 4 weeks.

BUT, for those who have registered for the May 3rd workshop, I have no choice but to invite you to help me as I once again am forced to POSTPONE our workshop scheduled for the 3rd of May to the new date of MAY 31, 2020 - a Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.

If you need to have a refund, just drop me a line at bethanygarner.art[at]gmail.com and I will get that off to you via transfer or personal cheque in the mail.

So here is the new date information:

Date And Time

Sun, May 31, 2020

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT

Add to Calendar

Location

Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning

370 King Street West

Kingston, ON K7L 2X4

View Map

Cheers and I appreciate your patience through this difficult time... 

our art time together means so much to each of us!

Bethany

Hi everyone - we are all doing our own ART PLAY at home these days - a full 33 days since the arts programming at the TETT Centre closed down, and classes started being postponed or moved forward in the 2020 calendar - are you still out there and interested???

Well - imagine me about 20 years ago - 

There I was, a younger, eager and dynamic Fibreworks Kingston student who was in a Weekend Workshop classroom with Toronto's master artist in fibre, Marion Spanjerdt, at the St. Lawrence College - and we were given the Board Room in the Executive Wing on the 12000 floor - just for the weekend and yes, it was AWESOME FUN. I so wish I could go back in time and enjoy some fun with artist friends and with the amazing artists from our past!

We painted pieces that were intended for collage works and the art play with Marion and friends was the very best fun!

There I am, new to the Kingston area and working FT as an HR Manager at Kingston General Hospital. I was one busy lady, raising a son and working through lots of new experiences with my hubby and we left behind 6 grown children in Michigan with their families - becoming grandparents within a few years after coming to Kingston. There I am  with the long hair I was growing out as my big sister Patricia had been scheduled for double mastectomies and thought she might lose her hair - so my younger sister, Terrye and I decided to let our hair grow and maybe Patty would need it - she didn't and she was fine and her hair went totally white (like mine these days).

I worked hard to work toward becoming an aspiring Instructor at St. Lawrence College in Kingston. Ultimately, I developed and proposed the 10 credit Textile Design Program that granted diploma certificates to almost 30 students. I worked in the Program for 23 years before the SLC Fibre Arts Programming dissolved before my eyes... to be no longer as a diploma program, as the Arts Funding for Colleges has been cut off by the Province and only short term classes might be added for the programs in Continuing Ed.

So, now I rent a private Artist Studio in the Creativity Studios on the second floor at the TETT. I love to move my own design play forward at the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning. I have enjoyed really wonderful students in a number of Classes that carry on, bringing fun and playful arts-focused education to our community. and I hope that we will all be back in the classroom together soon.

Homage to Hundertwasser, Marion Spanjerdt

The ART OF THE HANDMADE STITCH Class I had planned for April 17th,2020 has been postponed to May 22nd, 2020. and fingers crossed we can get together then. Registered students have been contacted.

My planned DYE DAY, ALL ABOUT PLAY class scheduled for May 3rd, 2020 is still on, but may also be postponed for the second time due to the Covid-19 rules for the City of Kingston re-opening for the TETT Centre. 

Fingers crossed we will be together May 3rd, but perhaps not. We have guidelines designed to protect all of our visitors to the TETT as well as the staff and our Instructors. Kingston is doing well, but there are still high spikes across Canada... so we wait!

I have re-booked another DYE DAY date at the TETT Centre for May 31st in the Rehearsal Hall to allow for the full complement of students to be Physical Distancing safely together in one large room. 

Keep watching here at the FIBREWORKS KINGSTON Blog... and I will be notifying students already enrolled as news comes to me.  http://fibreworkskingston.blogspot.com/

Stitch up some fabric masks if you have the supplies and be sure to line them with a non-woven, new coffee filter or better yet if you can get ahold of Pellon 830 Non-Woven "Easy Pattern" nonwoven interfacing from Fabricland or elsewhere online, it is a perfect deterrent to any droplets leaving or coming to you! Help protect everyone you come in contact with if you have to be out of the home.

NOTE: I have been advised today, April 13th,  that HEPA filter fabrics are NOT appropriate as they may include fibreglass extruded threads... 

Be kind to and tolerant of each other, love your family and MAKE ART! 

Bethany

The TETT Centre is closed to the public through at least March 31st. April and May Classes at the TETT continue unless further notified, and we want to make art a focus as we work through our days of waiting for the worries of the world to pass... classes are limited to a safe number of students - so COME PLAY!

The Art of the Handmade Stitch  - SEATS AVAILABLE

is for those who love to

CREATE THEIR OWN DESIGN on cloth!!

Join Bethany and spend an afternoon stitching on WOOL 

and using simple and yet beautiful stitches that will bring your artwork to a whole new level. 

Art may be finished and framed or used as a cushion, or other home decor or added into clothing. 

All supplies are furnished in this class - just bring scissors!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-of-the-handmade-stitch-creating-original-artwork-tickets-97988280585

THIS IS ANOTHER DYE PLAY DAY - SOLD OUT CLASS

 just a bit later in Spring!

We will be working with thickened dyes, some flat dyeing

 and I will have a couple of Indigi vats for our 10 students to share.

You need your own cloth, table cover and tools like paintbrushes, some small containers to hold your dyes and a dishpan for pre-soaking fabrics. 

Supplies List furnished with paid registration.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dye-day-all-about-play-tickets-99240754769


If you prefer - contact me through www.bethanygarner.com and arrange for a personal cheque or e-transfer.

Hope to see you at the TETT! Let's beat this lonely time with some fun with friends...
Bethany

OPENING for the Colour with a U Exhibition at the Homer Watson House in KW has been re-set/posponed until Saturday, April 25, 2020

Due to increasing concerns about the coronavirus, the Colour with a U exhibition committee has decided to postpone the opening reception for Colour with a U. Social distancing has become the new norm and we feel that a gathering at this time would not be advisable.

We have rescheduled the reception to Saturday April 25th 2 - 4pm. It is our hope that in six weeks the situation will have improved. The reception for Colour with a U Too is scheduled for Thursday April 23rd 5 - 7pm.

Colour with a U is now installed at Homer Watson House & Gallery and Colour with a U Too is now installed at RiverBrink Art Museum. Both galleries are open and welcome you to visit as you feel appropriate. Check their websites for hours and information:  https://www.homerwatson.on.ca   http://riverbrink.org

Best regards.

Tracey
---------
Tracey Lawko
Chair, Canadian Regional Juried Exhibition 2020: "Colour with a U"
Studio Art Quilt Associates
www.saqa.com

416-432-1254
tracey@traceylawko.com
www.traceylawko.com

PROCION MX Fabric Dyes and a bit of Indigo bring area artists the opportunity to COLOUR ON CLOTH for a full day with Bethany Garner, Instructor

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/colour-on-cloth-tickets-98004986553

About this Event

WELCOME FIBRE ARTISTS and Cloth dyeing enthusiasts... Bethany Garner will share her favourite techniques for adding COLOUR ON CLOTH with a classroom filled with eager and well-prepared beginners who have always wanted to try their hand at Dye Play, Flat Dyeing and a bit of Indigo.

The class will include instruction for best practices with Beth's prepared PROCION MX Fibre Reactive Dyes on silk, linen, cotton cloth. Tencel and silk threads/yarns are also a welcome addition to the dye day play.

- Students will come prepared with their own PRE-WASHED (no fabric softeners) cloth and threads. Soda Ash soaking will prepare the fabric in the classroom for receiving the dye.

- The table cover is provided and Beth will tarp the floors to prevent spills and save our beautiful TETT Centre floors.

- In this class, we will explore some traditional and familiar dye techniques including flat dyeing and some Arashi Shibori/pole wrapped techniques.

- Taking the art of dye play in YOUR own direction and adding some creative, original colour and manipulation techniques will give you the confidence to create artwork base cloth that can be cut, stitched , framed or made into décor pieces for your home or gifts.

- This class is for those who have some experience with dyes, but EVERYONE is welcome... we learn from each other and take the artwork home to BATCH (an important part of the dye development process). Final processing directions will be provided in a comprehensive handout for each student.

- Included in your classroom project payment will be your dyes and auxiliaries (soda ash soak) and an information-filled handout package.

What you need to bring:

Enthusiasm for creating all-new original work

Shared work you might have that demonstrates your dye passion.

Scissors (small embroidery are great – but you will just be cutting threads), plastic dishpans or bags to carry wet fabric home in after the workshop.

1-5 metres of clean, ready to dye fabric (cotton, linen, silk or rayon dye beautifully)

Gloves, tongs for handling wet dyed fabrics

Flat dye students will need ECO brand thin plastic available in the paint aisle at Home Depot (share with a friend if you are coming as a group) and the roll is about $14 and will go a long way for your next dye adventure.

A paintbrush with an angled brush will help for the flat dye technique.

Wear old clothes/shoes for dyeing - plan to tuck in a few old towels for wiping up spills at your table.

Brown Bag LUNCH or you can plan to eat in the TETT's beautiful Juniper Cafe...

More details/send questions through my contact form at www.Bethanygarner.com

Don't forget a notebook and camera to record the ideas and work shared in the workshop afternoon

Note: To change your class there must be 48 hrs notice or a friend is welcome to take your products and space on the day of the event. This is a non-refundable project if a participant doesn’t attend or cancels without proper notice.

Come join me on February 27th from 1-5 pm for another great hand stitching adventure... time for play and some great chatter around the stitching tables. Let's beat the winter blues with some colour on cloth!

CREATIVE HAND STITCHING – AMONG FRIENDS

Join me at the TETT Centre, 

370 King Street West, Kingston, ON

Activity Room, 1^st Level

Thursday, February 27th, 1-5 pm

Registration is open at Eventbrite:
 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-stitching-among-friends-tickets-91532406893

Classroom  project supplies provided by the Instructor,  Class Fee: $45

Have you always wanted to try your hand at 

IMPROVISATIONAL STITCH?

-          Students will receive a ground cloth of linen and an embroidery hoop, needles and threads package. (Small scissors of your choice would be great to tuck in your bag for class!)

-          In this class, we will explore some traditional IMPROV stitching and add some more complex stitches that will support and enhance your design play.

-          Taking the artwork in YOUR own direction and adding some creative, original colour and stitch will give you the confidence to create artwork that can be framed or made into home décor pieces for your home or gifts.

-          This class is great for those who have some experience with basic stitches, and all levels of stitchers are most welcome.

Hoping you can join me - among friends! February 27th!
Bethany

If preferred, you may register through e-transfer or by cheque pre-class. 
Contact Bethany for details:  garner[at]Kingston.net

t

Winter has arrived and sure the days are tricky - but WE WANT SNOW!!! So I have arranged some stitch days and now Dye Days at the TETT this winter that will include SNOW DYEING !

My first experiment with dyeing fabric with fiber-reactive dye occurred a couple of years ago using SNOW. I loved the vivid results I was able to achieve and wanted to continue dyeing, but the snowy season was over. Because snow is made up of ice crystals, I decided to experiment with ice cubes. Using ice cubes to dye fabric offers year-round results very similar to snow dyeing. But best of all, I’ve found that when using ice cubes, the colors are even brighter! Pray for snow!!!

So many variations to try…and just plain easy!  

What you need to know!  You can now register with your credit card!!

Registration Tickets are available from EVENTBRITE  -  so easy and the link is here: 

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/snow-dyeing-at-the-tett-tickets-91526922489

This is a 4-hour class and we will get right at the work as you come in the doors! 

• You will furnish your own threads, fabric and I will share all the dye!
• Bring a dishpan and a colander (dollar store) to tuck your fabrics into - and you need a pan and colander for each piece if larger than 1/2 metre!
• And YES, you can snow dye yarns that are cotton, linen, rayon, silk or Tencel!  
• I PLAN to use snow as the delivery agent!!! 

 -  Students will experiment with how the fabric is folded. Different patterns, scrunching, tying, or folding on the diagonal will cause the fabric to have another look.

 - We will vary the amount of dry, powered dye students will use and where they apply it to the snow mounds in their colanders or onto the ice if there is no snow!

 -  Students will experiment with different color combinations of dye.

- When the weather forbids the falling snow to come on our dye day, we will use commercial bags of ice cubes.

Register through Eventbrite at the link above OR by contacting Bethany at garner[at]kingston.net

e-transfer and cheques are welcome for pre-registration if that is better for you.

Winter days mean time for HAND STITCHING - join Bethany at the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning for an introduction to IMPROVISATIONAL STITCH

THE ART OF THE HANDMADE STITCH

at the TETT Centre, Activity Room, 1^st Level

Thursday, February 13^th,  12-4 pm

All project-related supplies provided by the Instructor, $45

REGISTER for this class at Eventbrite, online here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-the-handmade-stitch-tickets-91478585913?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Have you always wanted to try your the hand at 

IMPROVISATIONAL STITCH?

-         Using a cloth that feels so beautifully subtle like wool for the stitching base is a great way to start!?

-         Taking the path for the artwork in YOUR own direction after learning some of the basic hand stitches that everyone can create with a short tutorial and a bit of practice makes the time you spend in class a valuable start on a fun craft you will use and share for years.

-         Students need not have any prior experience. Everyone welcome!

-         You will go away with a lovely piece started  that you can finish in the comfort of your home and at your own pace!

-         Advanced hand-stitching classes to come in March and April.

                                              Come Play!!

       

     Registration may also be made via e-transfer or 

cheque to Bethany Garner, 

Contact: garner[at]kingston.net

Happy New Year to all of my friends and students across Canada and beyond... May you all take your plans and dreams in exciting new directions as the decade and new year turn into 2020!

The CONNECTIONS FIBRE ARTISTS Exhibition, 

re: FASHION 

continues through January 5th at the Wellington County Museum in Fergus/Elora

The Exhibition moves the following week to the Southhampton Art Centre, Southhampton, ON

I am so proud to have two pieces in this outstanding CONNECTIONS group exhibition and thought I would take a minute to document the information for my own records and your information.

TRANSITIONS, A Conversation Through Time

The Wool Jacket – Circa 2019  

(Hanging in front of the quilt on the back wall in the photo above)

My goal in creating this wall art Kimono Jacket is to present a companion piece to the Woman's Wool Coat I chose for inspiration from the WCMA Archives. Wool was the fabric of the period when this coat would have been worn, however, over the century between the Museum piece and my own, the use of woven cloth and the dynamics of painted silk have evolved - as the lining of the jacket I created was'design play' which has taken the coat to a new place in time. My inspiration piece stands beside my work and is a woman's long coat, circa 1870 and the handwoven cloth in this century-old coat is in beautiful condition. 

My jacket includes my own handwoven yardage using five wool singles threads and my hand-painted silk fabrics as the lining combined to create a version of the British WIKSTEN Jacket. 

Elements of the jacket share in a conversation I have had with the maker of the period garment and are incorporated into my Kimono Jacket. The lining silk was hand-painted in a workshop I took with Betty Busby at Quilting By The Lake in Syracuse NY this past summer.

I intended the Kimono style Jacket for this exhibition as wall art to be displayed with arms extended, using copper pipe for hanging. In this piece, I share a 'Cloth Diary' that represents my take on the relationship between my weaving practice, love of creativity and new skills acquired at QBL in silk painting.

The "CONVERSATIONS IN TIME" Quilt that hangs behind the jacket is 23" x 118" and was created using my hand-dyed cotton fabrics and a selection of the painted silk that went into the Jacket lining. The quilt is backed with wool and machine quilted.

NOTE: Also seen in the photo above are the work of NancyYule (Drum fashioned from paper and encaustic with photos of the artist/family with inspiration from a Paper dress in the WCMA Archives) and Elizabeth Duggan Litch (replica of Hockey gear expanded into wall mounted contemporary art).

Have a great New Year everyone!

Bethany

www.bethanygarner.com

Visit Beth at the TETT CENTRE for Creativity and Learning, STUDIO D in the Creativity Studios

Second Floor, 370 King Street W., Kingston ON 

Note: email Beth for studio hours when you are coming - bethanygarner.art[at]gmail.com'

TETT CREATIVITY STUDIO ARTISTS help SANTA with some shopping ideas this coming weekend, DECEMBER 21st! And new workshops with Bethany in 2020!

My 'STUDIO D' located in the CREATIVITY STUDIOS on the second floor at the TETT Centre, 370 King Street West will be open all day on DECEMBER 21st 

and I would love to have friends and Fibre Arts enthusiasts drop by for a peek - 

Some of my hand-dyed  and hand-painted fabrics, 
12 x 12 art and larger wall art pieces abound! 

Great Christmas gifts for the art lovers 

with FIBRE ART on their list! 

The CREATIVITY STUDIOS EXHIBITING ARTISTS are:

Dragonfly Handmade
Bethany Garner Fibre Art/Weaving
Glocca Morra Farms & Studios
Natalie Bohnen-Twiddy
Vanderzee Jewelry
Adele Webster Art
Rhonda Evans Art
Linda Wolfram Fraser, The Garden Studio
Michelle Reid

And a few more vendors!

AND

 Upcoming Workshops in the New Year!!

Details are at the TETT Events Pages here: 

Wet Felted Art Workshop with Bethany Garner

Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/wet-felted-art-workshop-tickets-85855386773

Indigo Dye Workshop - For the love of Blue!

Instructor: Bethany Garner

Register: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigo-dye-workshop-tickets-85819762219

Happy Christmas Everyone... see you along the way!

bethany

I will be participating with the eight Studio Artists at the TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning, 370 King Street W, Kingston Ontario. Studio artists will have their beautiful works for sale and for you to enjoy during the Holiday Market - come and take home a treasured piece of artwork for YOUR Christmas gifting,. November 28 - December 1, 2019 https://www.facebook.com/events/538314086990859/ Find Bethany Garner in STUDIO D on the second level of the TETT!

Shopping at The Tett Center! Come meet the local artists /artisans in the Creativity Studios (area214, second floor, end of the hall) where they have come together to create a beautiful holiday shopping experience over a four day period! This will correspond with the Potter's Guild Show & Sale in the Malting Tower and The Lapidary Club's Show Metal Rocks in the Rehearsal Hall.  Three floors of shopping options!