Inspire your creative process and transform your understanding of color and texture. This retreat takes you into the world of hand-dyed fabric, stained-glass effects, mark-making, and garment creation. You will immerse yourself in a tapestry of rich, unpatterned colors that are so much more than just solids.

You will examine the complexities of solid fabrics, going beyond their simple look to find their hidden richness and adaptability. Through hands-on exploration, a deep dive into color theory, and experimentation with transparency, you will create visual effects that evoke the luminous beauty of stained glass. You will see each hue interact to create a vibrant, harmonious whole.

Elaine and Karla will guide you through various fabric embellishment processes. You will delve into methods of adding intricate details and personal expression to your fabric creations. You’ll also learn how subtle shifts in dye application and intentional mark-making can elevate a simple solid into art with character and visual interest.

Karla Overland, owner of Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabric, starts off the week with an inspiring presentation about Deconstructed Color Theory. Elaine Wick Poplin, aka “Messygoat” then explains her new stained-glass techniques and guides you to design and construct your own piece—with no complex piecing!

As your work progresses, Karla helps you explore mark-making with fabric pens to create the look of cobblestones and cracked rocks. Translate your fabric artistry into a wearable masterpiece that expresses your style with color and texture, or finish it as an art quilt to display on a wall.