Masterclass

In this three-day masterclass with Loes Schepens and Marieke van Mieghem, you will learn various techniques: paper making and preparing an indigo dye bath (day 1), making paper yarn and dyeing (day 2), spinning and weaving (day 3).

Programme

Day 1 Paper making and preparing an indigo dye bath
We start by breaking, scutching, hackling and cutting the flax. Loes talks about her work, her experience of growing flax and shows examples of her 25 years of paper research. The cut fibres go into the grinding machine. This is followed by instruction on various techniques and we start making paper. We stack the sheets between felt and cotton cloths and then put the whole stack in a press. The history of paper is also discussed. At the end of the day, we prepare an indigo dye bath using the fructose method.

Day 2 Kami-ito technique
We discuss the properties of the handmade flax paper. Marieke talks about the history of Kami-Ito and how paper thread, alongside our regular yarns, had and still has a place in functional objects and design. She also shows examples of her own work with flax paper thread.

Marieke shows how you can make thread from paper. Just as cutting and sorting flax is almost meditative, preparing, rolling, tearing and spinning paper also requires concentration and patience. We can then dye the paper with the indigo dye bath by dipping dry paper thread into the dye bath.

Day 3 Spinning and weaving
We start the day by looking at the properties of these first threads. What is your first impression of what you would like to make with them? After this, more cut and prepared sheets can be spun into thread. There is also room to experiment with the indigo bath. Once all the threads are dry, we can start weaving a piece of fabric. This is followed by a brief explanation of the history of weaving with paper thread, known as shifu in Japan. You will also learn about a few weaving weaves. We weave in wooden frames and on wooden weaving boards, which we make ourselves with small nails.

Location Loes Schepens studio, Weimarstraat 56, The Hague
Date 12, 13 and 14 February 2026
Time 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost €495 per person, including lunch and materials
Participants Maximum of 6 people
Registration via Crafts Counsil Nederland