Sunday 23 April 2023, Braiding with T-Shirt Rags with Studio Brieditis & Evans

CLICK HERE to add your name to the waiting list

15:00 - 19:00 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, London, UK)

Online workshop, hosted on Zoom by Studio Brieditis & Evans

Katarina Brieditis and Katarina Evans are textile designers and artisans, based Stockholm, Sweden. They work with textile art, design and craft and have collaborated since 2002 as Studio Brieditis & Evans with projects focusing on textile recycling and sustainability. They share the curiosity for all textile techniques, materials and re-cycling and love experimenting across techniques and preferably with materials that already exist.

Throughout history man has always been inventive and sourced materials in nature and in the close environment. Today we live with mountains of waste; it is like a second nature and we have ignored making use of these materials.

Using only supposedly “worthless” materials, off-cuts from the textile industry or t-shirts and sweaters, destined to be thrown away, Brieditis & Evans aim to make “valuable” and durable textiles. A common thread in their work is the importance the limited material gives to the design - and creative process.

Outline of the workshop
In this workshop you will learn how to braid and create a variation of designs and qualities using t-shirt rags. Braiding rags into rugs is a well-known technique. When Katarina and Katarina started their experimental project, Re Rag Rug, the challenge was to refine and transform worthless textiles in a limited colour palette into textiles with new expressions and a high artistic value.

The braided technique was one of the first they explored. They discovered that the multi coloured braids create new patterns when placed next to each other. Different patterns appear depending on in which order the colours are braided, how many rags each braid consists of and, finally, how the braids are combined and stitched together. This opened a whole new world of pattern, an infinity of design variations.

Katarina and Katarina will guide you through all the steps, from cutting rags of t-shirts to braiding, creating a variation of designs with up to 7 strands of rags.

Through the braiding you will learn how you can use the braids to make different designs and discover the endless possibilities of designing patterns with multi-coloured rags. You will also find that you can make qualities that can function as sturdy rugs as well as finer qualities for other home furnishing materials or accessories.

By the end of the workshop you will have started different designs, and will be inspired to try some of your own ideas! You will be equipped with a notion that all material is good material if you only find the right use for it, and you will never throw away a t-shirt again!

Level of experience required
Basic experience on braiding is required

Materials are not provided as we are encouraging reusing your own stuff:
For the workshop, you will need the following tools and materials. You are encouraged to use what you already have - to upcycle, recycle and reuse.

• Scissors
• T-shirts in a minimum of three different colours. You are encouraged to use old t-shirts that would otherwise be discarded.
• Pins (not too tiny)
• Darning needle
• An ironing or other soft board, or a door handle.

Recording
The workshop will be recorded and the recording made available to ticket holders after the event. Please allow 7 working days for the recording to be sent to you. 

Workshop Cancellation Policy
All places are non-refundable. However, if you let us know you are not able to make a workshop you have booked at least two weeks prior to the event, we will offer a credit note.

If you require additional information about this workshop please contact the events team, events@selvedge.org.