Better Than Jam's Studio

Blockprinting on Textiles Workshop is SATURDAY and there are 2 seats left.

My bear mask print in the woods of Connecticut.



xo thanks for the pic

Isn't this pic soooo pretty!? DYEING with NATURE workshop is NEXT Saturday (Aug. 24th)! Plenty of seats. I don't schedule this one as much because it's a lot for me to teach it. I definitely need a hammock nap afterwards. We do A Lot in this 3 hour class. 2 dye pots of color with assist and modifiers, 1 steam pot for bundle dye, shibori dyeing and painting w modifiers. Plus fun. Always fun.

Book with a friend for 20% off. Returning students get a discount code forever. Sign up for my newsletter for extra discounts when I am desperate.

I found this old interview

A Crafty Questionnaire: Karin Persan — New York Handmade Collective Karin Persan is a fabric and clothing designer who recently fulfilled a long-held dream to open a co-op boutique that features her own work, as well as the work of many talented, local artisans. Flying under the banner " Better Than Jam ," Karin's handprinted fabrics add a rich dimension

When I say that one of the Bundle Dye techniques of the 3 we do in class turns out "moody," this is what I mean 🖤🖤🖤🖤. THIS SATURDAY 10am-1pm there's still time to sign up!

EMAIL BLASTING

Bundle Dyeing with a little extra I've been seeing a lot of hammering flowers and leaves on the internets....it's pretty easy! I really don't think it needs to be a whole class, so if you are interested, and you come to Saturday's Bundle Dyeing workshop, I can show you how I've done it!

Bundle Dyeing is coming up next Saturday. A few spots left to book.

In the class you'll mordant one brought item, I prepare 3 pieces for you also to dye, and you leave with a take home activity of dyeing with rust. It's a bunch in only 3 hours. Well worth the time, $, and effort (I say so, others might as well).



https://betterthanjamnyc.com/products/bundle-dyeing-with-floral-fauna-and-rust

I hope these pictures are haunted. My mom and I went to the hotel that inspired Stephen King's "The Shining" to take my required headshot for my new jobby job as Studio Manager . I don't have any recent ones because I hate taking pics of myself...The last ones taken of me are prob from my twenties and I don't want to disappoint anyone when a middle aged woman shows up :-) Luckily my mother is a professional and tolerates my horrible awkward behavior while posing and is always up for an adventure even if spooky.

Professional headshot by Cathie King Photography
Hotel pic from my dumb phone.

ATTTENTION! Saturday (tomorrow) is Beginner Shibori. I forgot, you definitely didn't know, but there's 2 seats open and time to sign up!

I am making a fresh 35 gallon vat! Returning students remember you have a discount code, and come back to dip and fine tune your skill. No one is above learning MORE about Indigo and Shibori techniques, ever.

This print isn't done (I don't think....), but I think I might love this bear as much as the old bear.....
background using trash packing material and acrylic ink
made using real leaves from w**ds, printed with
made from carved from packing material then using natural dye

I'm only doing ONE SHOW this year, Oct 25-27 with so mark your calendars and plan a visit to Maryland!

This is the dream team :-) A note to those starting their market season, good luck! I'm taking a break this year. The last few years have been tough on me, so a break is needed. Even though the thought of not signing up for any shows makes my stress level spike, I know I don't have to this year. I will miss seeing all my show friends! But man I have had a real tough couple of seasons. This photo, for example, was taken after high windows destroyed my whole tent, it collapsing overnight. These two lovely humans helped haul all my stuff inside after I ran to (sounds like mall-mart) to get a new replacement structure. I miss their smiling faces, but I won't miss that gamble you take at these events. BE GOOD TO ALL THOSE MARKET FOLK YOU SEE OUT THERE THIS SPRING/SUMMER!

https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/07/16/abc-no-rio-groundbreaking-cultural-center/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0HelEB3PQbLokAxQMTe3VfKdFiiH32gf-l09Sb0qfEmGTa0meXXxG1nKI_aem_a5J1lcbBgJDAoRC_3q9yQQ

ABC No Rio, a Home for Anarchist Artists, Rises Again on the Lower East Side Years after its demolition, ABC No Rio will get a new energy-efficient headquarters on the same site of its famous Rivington Street artists’ hub.

Sometimes the test prints are more beautiful than the end product....
Trying out all the colors here on soy treated fabric.
color coming soon.....

Too much color?

using real leaves to make screens. listed on website.

I'm retiring this bear mask image, so the prints listed on the website will be the last of them. Why? I never really felt it was mine since it was a drawing of a ceramic piece, even with carving the plate and editing into a screen. I also can't remember where I saw the ceramic piece... prob the Met... but I can't be certain who made it to credit them. I thank it for it's starting me in a new direction, but time to go. There's a new bear mask image, plus other animals, and human monsters coming.

I had to edit my workshop calendar a bit! I got a new jobby job (more on that shortly, I start officially tomorrow!) Specifically the Working with Resists is now one full day instead of two consecutive Saturdays, and the Cyanotype 1 and 2 moved dates in Sept. to a Saturday. A few other dates moved and I added others.... Check out the updated listings on the website or on IG profit link. There's a Shibori I had blocked from signing up that is totally up for grabs...Working with Indigo meets in two Saturdays and it's a good one!

Week well spent.

Camping in the rain can bring good things.

works in progress / experimentation fun.
"lino" cut mini plates of animal masks, over , with papers, and natural dye w**d with brasiletto dye/ink.

Beginner Shibori is this Saturday. I believe I just have one spot left! I'll start a waitlist after that.

Signing prints like this from now on. Swipe to end to see the metal stamp that I thought was my dad's leather brand, but he says it was from the family hardware store. So might have been my grand or great grandfather's. For what? Not sure. Stamping soft metal of some sort. History mystery.

Enjoy these mixed print method paper posters

Head the Artwork section of my website to gander and shop online.

Studio still life, "Make it work."

There's still time to sign up for Fun with Fiber Reactive Dyes, two seats left. Head to profile link or here:
https://betterthanjamnyc.com/products/workshop-fun-with-fiber-reactive-dyes

I'm not sure if this is done or not...It definitely doesn't like to be photographed. I listed the print as is for now on the web-store while I mull it over.....I kinda like the simplicity of it though.

Linen fabric plate collagraph using soy ink and screenprint w**ds and ferns.

I just added a new workshop, a Cyanotype Part 2, where we'll tone with household finds and natural dyes. Printers and those frustrated with painting, we'll also thicken the solution so you can either paint with better control or screenprint. You're welcome to bring in your own silkscreens or I could make you one is you ask :-)

It's scheduled in the afternoon, after the beginner class, so you can keep on going (after lunch of course) or if you have experience with the process you can join us midway in the day.

New Workshop :

Cyanotype Workshop Part Two; Toning, Natural Dyes, and Silkscreening A fun class for returning shibori and indigo students where we add color using reactive dyes. Learn to perfect your patterns plus we'll get more complicated! More difficult techniques are shown like Tatsumaki, Miura, Yanagi and Kumo. As well as Nui, a beginner stitch resist. More tricks to get bette...

Fun with Fiber Reactive Dyes workshop is next Saturday. A couple signed up but more are needed! So head to profile link to sign up for this and all other future classes.

Also keep an eye out for a few new class ideas I have....Screenprinting with Natural Dyes, Cyanotype Part 2 (altering color and printing with the solution), Thrifting Scores and How to Alter, and possibly a class where we focus on painting with modifiers of Natural Dyes.

The best way to get the updates is signing up for the newsletter, which I send out sometimes. You can find of the main screen of the website or here:
http://eepurl.com/iRPh3w

New top listing updated. Head to website newest pieces hand; printed dyed sewn. My workshop is coming up too, June 22nd, and we can chat about how I painted this fabric and bunch more fun techniques.

New listing

Desert Pink Stripes Cotton and Blockprinted Box Top This fabric is handpainted with reactive dyes while hanging so it has a very fun drip affect. This leaves each top a little different! The photographed top is the Medium. 100% Cotton voile (sheer and light weight) simple box fit stand out tops. Inspired by the Central and South American huipil, the....