WildCraft West: our Portland OR studio opened in March 2016. This 3000 sq ft space is also the showroom & shop of Fieldwork Design & Architecture. WildCraft West offers 4-week evening courses and weekend workshops in contemporary craft skills, traditional textile practices and fresh perspectives on art-school classics. If you’d like to stop by the studio, please do so on weekends between 11am-3pm.
WildCraft West 601 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR
Classes at Portland Studio:
Basket Weaving: Natural Fiber Material Exploration
Saturday February 01, 2020 - Sunday February 02, 2020
Explore structural design and weaving techniques to create unique, personalized baskets with a wide variety of plant materials.
Folk Embroidery Sampler
Saturday February 01, 2020 - Sunday February 02, 2020
In this 1.5 day workshop, students will learn a variety of basic and advanced embroidery stitches to complete a unique embroidered sampler.
Textile Marbling (Feb 8)
Saturday February 08, 2020
Swirling patterns, organic shapes and natural formations: marbling offers a playful, no-pressure approach to textile surface design.
Pigments of Place: Natural Paint Making
Sunday February 09, 2020
This class is an invitation to connect with the land and its colors by learning to make paint with a rainbow of different iron ore-based earths and rock.
Dip Pen & Ink Calligraphy
Sunday February 09, 2020
Join lettering artist Amanda Donahue of The Scribblist in learning the magic of traditional pointed pen calligraphy with a modern twist.
Hand Woven Beaded Jewelry (Feb 15)
Saturday February 15, 2020
Jeweler and artist Sofija Olson of Studio Oma brings us a day of instruction around the tradition and technique of woven beadwork.
Woven Rag Rugs
Saturday February 15, 2020 - Sunday February 16, 2020
Repurposed materials from sheets and clothing will be the basis of students’ exploration in texture, color, and shape-making using tapestry techniques.
Contemporary Hand Quilting
Sunday February 16, 2020
Students will design and hand sew their own contemporary quilted piece, but don’t let your mind stop at quilt squares!
Weekend Weaving Intensive
Friday February 21, 2020 - Sunday February 23, 2020
In this weekend intensive, you will learn how to the basics of weaving on a table-top rigid heddle loom.
Drawing with Wool: Crewel Embroidery
Sunday February 23, 2020
Students learn crewel embroidery to create free-form embroidery where one “paints” with their stitches using wool yarn.
Columbia Plateau Beading
Saturday February 29, 2020 - Sunday March 01, 2020
Students will work on a beautiful medallion while learning the history of beads in the Columbia plateau.
Adirondack Pack-Basket Weaving (March 7-8)
Saturday March 07, 2020 - Sunday March 08, 2020
Learn to weaving an Adirondack pack-basket in this 2-day intensive.
Leatherworking Basics
Sunday March 08, 2020
Students will learn to make a wallet, pouch, or small bag from start to finish, and gain an understanding of construction, hardware, and finishes.
Moku-hanga: Traditional Japanese Woodblock Printing
Saturday March 14, 2020 - Sunday March 15, 2020
Students will learn the proper use of traditional tools and materials, carving, basic registration, and vocabulary associated with moku-hanga printing.
Hand Carved Rings: Wax to Bronze & Silver (March 15)
Sunday March 15, 2020
Beginning with a piece of jeweler’s wax, students will learn to carve, melt, drill & saw, forming a custom and uniquely shaped ring.
In-Depth Mordanting for Natural Dyeing
Saturday March 21, 2020
Students will take a deep dive into the world of natural color-modifiers and color-binders known as mordants.
Batik: Ancient Technique, Contemporary Textiles
Sunday March 22, 2020
The practice of batik is one shared by cultures across the globe, from the Far East to Middle East, Central Asia to India.
Weaving with a Natural Palette
Friday March 27, 2020 - Sunday March 29, 2020
Weaver and textile artist, Kayla Powers, comes to us from Detroit, MI for this 2.5-day Natural Dye + Weaving intensive!
Visible Mending: Patching & Darning
Sunday March 29, 2020
WildCraft is pleased to host Nina & Sonya Montenegro of The Far Woods to share mending techniques, including different kinds of patching and darning.
Hand Woven Beaded Jewelry (April 4)
Saturday April 04, 2020
Jeweler and artist Sofija Olson of Studio Oma brings us a day of instruction around the tradition and technique of woven beadwork.
Spring Color: Natural Dyes of Portland
Sunday April 05, 2020
Come explore the hidden dye plants that dot the urban landscape of Portland, Oregon!
Silk Painting with Natural Dyes
Saturday April 11, 2020 - Sunday April 12, 2020
Design and hand-draw patterns on silk fabric using a gutta resist to create intricate or bold imagery through natural color and negative space.
Big Baskets: Weaving with Reed & Rattan
Saturday April 18, 2020 - Sunday April 19, 2020
Explore structural design and plaited weaving techniques to create unique, large baskets.
Indigo Patterning: Shibori & Resist Methods
Saturday April 25, 2020
In this class, students will gain in-depth experience in textile patterning with resist methods and traditional Japanese patterning techniques.
Textile Marbling (April 26)
Sunday April 26, 2020
Swirling patterns, organic shapes and natural formations: marbling offers a playful, no-pressure approach to textile surface design.
Mycology & Color: Mushroom Dyes
Saturday May 02, 2020
WildCraft is pleased to offer this rare chance to explore mushrooms as a source of natural dye.
Hand-Drawn Repeats: Pattern Design
Sunday May 03, 2020
Students will explore patterns using different scales, line weights, and a variety of other design elements to achieve one-of-a-kind repeat patterns.
Indigenous Cordage
Sunday May 03, 2020
Students will learn about local NW plant fibers used to make cordage and string, while learning how to process plant fibers and create cordage.
Mama and Child Natural Dyes!
Saturday May 09, 2020
We’re celebrating the sweetest holiday of the year: Mother’s Day with a super special Mama & Child natural dye class!
Wooden Spoon Carving
Sunday May 10, 2020
Learn how to select an ideal wood for carving, how to use simple hand-carving tools to create a handsome and useful spoon.
Wasco Weaving: Sally Bag
Sunday May 10, 2020
The class will focus on Wasco-style weaving techniques and patterned design work, teaching a Native art of the Columbia Plateau.
Sashiko Japanese Mending
Saturday May 16, 2020
Used for centuries by rural people in Japan to mend and repair clothing, Sashiko evolved into a decorative yet thrifty way to reuse and recycle fabric.
Japanese Natural Dyes
Sunday May 17, 2020
Ai (indigo), beni (safflower), akane (madder), and murasaki (alkanet) are among some of the quintessential Japanese dye plants we will cover in this class.
Post & Rung Stool Building
Friday May 22, 2020 - Sunday May 24, 2020
In this class, students will build a post-and-rung stool out of sustainably harvested Oregon White Oak.
Screen Printing with Natural Dyes
Saturday May 23, 2020
Join us for a full-day intensive focused on the art of printing with natural dyes.
Pine Needle Basketry
Saturday May 30, 2020
In this workshop, students will create a small basket using all-natural hemp and pine needles.
Hand Carved Rings: Wax to Bronze & Silver (May 31)
Sunday May 31, 2020
Beginning with a piece of jeweler’s wax, students will learn to carve, melt, drill & saw, forming a custom and uniquely shaped ring.
Hand-Carved Bone Tools & Utensils
Saturday June 06, 2020
Learn how to source, prepare, and carve bones, and learn about the different qualities bone can have for specific handmade tools.
Students will learn how to harvest, process, and weave Himalayan Blackberry skins for both cordage and basket weaving.
Adirondack Pack-Basket Weaving (June 13-14)
Saturday June 13, 2020 - Sunday June 14, 2020
Learn to weaving an Adirondack pack-basket in this 2-day intensive.
Experimental Indigo: Shibori & Wax Resists
Saturday June 13, 2020
Learn to create their own plant-based indigo dye vat as well as how to create patterns using wax resist, stitch resist and pole-wrapping techniques.
Hand-Stitched Geometric and Sashiko Patterns
Sunday June 14, 2020
learn the meditative and mindful properties of hand-stitching and how to create patterns improvisationally with sashiko thread and naturally dyed fabric.
From Tree to Table: Cutting Boards, Cheese Boards & Tea Trays
Saturday June 20, 2020 - Sunday June 21, 2020
Learn to make a simple, functional, and handmade cutting board, cheese board, or tea tray straight from the tree.
Botanical Cyanotypes
Saturday June 20, 2020
Harnessing the power of UV light, we will arrange botanical specimens, found objects and photo negatives on various materials to create beautiful prints.
Handmade Paint Brushes
Saturday June 20, 2020
Personalize your brushes to your unique style of mark-making, or alternatively, let your brushes decide what marks you’ll make.
Urban Botanical Inks
Sunday June 21, 2020
Learn how to prepare natural pigments and plant materials for botanical ink-making.
Woven Leather Baskets
Saturday June 27, 2020
Students will learn how to transform leather into beautiful usable objects through measuring and cutting strips to weave together into a 3D form!
Summer Color: Natural Dyes of Portland
Sunday June 28, 2020
Portland is in full bloom this time of year, and with a bright array of dye plants at our finger-tips to use as natural dyes.
