Stencil Printing on Textiles: Workshop with Jody Alexander

Spend an afternoon at NUMU learning how to hand cut stencils and embellish textiles with exhibiting book and fiber artist Jody Alexander (on view in ).

In this 3-hour workshop, you will learn how to create your own hand-printed fabric! You are invited to bring something from home to embellish (pants, dress, shirt, tablecloth, curtain, etc.) You will also design your own set of two dish towels with your stencils. The dish towels are provided and make a lovely, handmade gift.

During this workshop, you will begin with looking at samples for inspiration. Then, you will learn how to transfer images to stencil material, hand cut them, and print on fabric. No drawing or design experience is necessary. Simple repeated designs can be the most successful! Consider bringing a friend to join in on the fun.

Students should bring the following:

• Textile item to embellish: pants, dress, shirt, tablecloth, etc.
• Exacto knife (optional)
• Cutting mat (optional)
• Pencil and paper for note-taking and designing

About Jody Alexander

Jody Alexander is a book, fiber, and mixed media artist who includes textiles, objects, wall pieces, garments, and installations in her art practice. Her work is inspired by the art of repair, reuse, and by the imagery and stories encountered in her travels on the ground and in the water.

Alexander is fascinated with water. She swam competitively between the ages of eleven and twenty-one, and was on the U.S. National Team in 1979, qualified for the 1980 Olympic Trials (which were canceled due to the U.S. pulling out of the Olympics), and swam on scholarship for UCLA.

When the pools closed in the spring of 2020, Alexander turned to the ocean and lakes to continue her daily swims.

Her latest project, “Aqua Lab: In Search of the Third Thing,” is an investigation to understand her attraction to water. “Is it,” she asks, “the weightlessness, solitude, color, patterns of light, sound, adventure, or the thrill of the unknown?”

Support for Stitches & Wiggles and Encounters provided by the Borgenicht Foundation and Patty McGuigan, with in-kind support by Bay Photo Lab Santa Cruz.

Exhibitions, programs, and operations are made possible by NUMU’s Board of Directors & Circle Members, the Michael & Alyce Parsons Art Endowment, Peggy & Phil Koen, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Borgenicht Foundation, the Flick Family, Jan Schwartz & Bob Baden, Ranae DeSantis, The Poncetta Charitable Fund, the Town of Los Gatos, and SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.

NUMU's mission is to make programming accessible to all. Donations directly support the museum’s exhibitions and educational programs. Please contribute whatever you are able.

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