Gunnel Hag is available for speaking engagements on a wide variety of textile design topics. She is an enthusiastic, innovative and creative teacher, who offers unique inspirational workshops and lectures.

We also offer hands-on workshops at your own facility, or at the Colour Vie Studio, and can tailor-make them to fit the needs of your organization. Call for more information on dates and rates.
416-532-7435 (local) or
1-877-425-8379 (toll free) or
e-mail: colorvie@istar.ca

Below are samples of Gunnel's workshops: "Creating Texture and Pattern on Fabric" (2 Days or more) Have you always yearned to create luscious, original fabrics? In this workshops you will explore visual texture while brushing, rag rolling, sponging and rubbing. Learn how to use Gunnel's unique techniques of "taking away" and "scraping" as you create stunningly colourful fabrics. You will experience and see patterns in everyday objects and learn to turn them into exquisite fabrics. As well as making your own print blocks, you will use 'found objects' to design and print fabric in your own colour scheme. - No previous experience necessary "Creating Layered Textures and Patterns with Pigments" (4 - 5 Days) In this workshop you will discover a thousand different paths to the same goal: Gorgeous, meaningful cloth. See and experience patterns in everyday objects and learn to turn them into exquisite designs using the application of textile pigments, which is a direct and surprisingly simple way of creating multilayered fabrics. Textile pigments allow colour mixing, layering, pulling-back colour, rubbing, mark-making and using "found objects" to create unique effects, so students can learn how to design on the fly directly on the fabric. - No previous experience necessary "Create Your Own Fabric" (1 Day) Have your always yearned to create luscious, original fabrics? While brushing, sponging, rubbing and using Gunnel's unique techniques of 'taking away' and 'scraping' , you will explore visual texture. Learn to see patterns in everyday objects and to turn them into exquisite colourful fabrics. - No previous experience necessary "Add and Subtract: Discharge Made Easy" (1 Day) In this workshop you will use bleach as well as pigments to produce exciting on-of-a-kind fabrics. Learn in-depth techniques for tied, clamped and pole wrap resists. Explore immersion discharge and direct application discharge using stamps and resists for complex multilayered designs. - Bring 3 - 4 yards of black 100% cotton fabric. - No previous experience necessary. "Quilters' Special: Create Fat Quarters in Glorious Colours" (1 Day) Use any imaginable colour combinations to create brilliant or subtle sky, land and seascapes. Learn how to dye with pigments, creating interesting textures. No messy chemicals, no odours, no need to leave the fabric in the "dye bath", no colour changes. What you see is what you get ¬…and it's great! - No previous experience necessary. "Glorious Colour: Fat Quarters For Quilters" (2 days) What could be more fun than a trip to a new fabric store? Making your very own fabric! In this workshop you will learn how to mix a full array of colours from the three primary colours enabling you to use any imaginable colour combinations to create brilliant and exciting textures. Imagine fabrics that look like an abstract flower garden or subtle sky, landscapes and seascapes. Produce soft imagery with depth and interest by spraying and learn the intriguing aspects of pigment dyeing. You will experience and see patterns in everyday objects and learn to turn them into exquisite fabrics. - No previous experience necessary "Colour and Texture for Quilters" (1 - 2 Days) Unleash Your Creativity! In this workshop you will learn how to mix a full array of colours from the three primary colours. Discover how to use any imaginable colour combination to create brilliant and exciting textures - or produce soft colours with unique depth and interest. You will see and experience colours, textures and patterns in everyday objects and learn to turn them into exquisite fabrics. Just enjoy! - No previous experience necessary "All That Glitters" (1 Day) Gold and Silver - the pigments shine and glitter. Learn how to use gold and silver metallic pigments and to tint them to create truly luxurious fabrics. Metallic foil has a smooth glimmering rich quality which produces stunning effects on fabric. Add eye-catching visual depth and contrast by embellishing your coloured fabrics with metallic foil using easy fool proof techniques. - Bring a selection of cotton, linen, silk or fabric blends in any colour to jazz up with metallics. - No previous experience necessary. "Screen Printing on Fabric 101" (1 day) This introductory workshop is for anyone interested in home decorating, quilting and/or fashion. If you want a specific colour combination and imagery on your fabric, then this system of printing is for you. Learn how to create simple motifs as well as fabrics with repeating imagery. - No previous experience necessary. "Screen Printing on Fabric 201" (2 Days) Do you want to print fabrics with fine or detailed imagery? In this two-day workshop you will learn a variety of techniques for creating artwork on acetate, which you will then use to make a permanent photo emulsion screen. Wash and reuse your screen, and create countless colour combinations. - Prerequisite: Screen Printing on Fabric 101 or equivalent. "Painless Marbling" (1/2 Day or 1 day) Create stunning marbled fabric samples with this amazingly simple technique. Yes, it is quick and easy, and yes, some people may say that you are cheating. The results are gorgeous colourful fabrics that you can use for quilts, cards, you name it! - No previous experience necessary "Complex Cloth surfaces" (2 Days) On the first day of this workshop you will build a surface structure for fabrics from scratch. Using tools, processes and colour combinations, the 'ground cloth' will be prepared. On the second day you will be pleating and dyeing the fabric, then over- dyeing, stamping, painting, spraying and embellishing with gold pigments and metallic foil until you have produced exciting fabrics with depth and interest. The layering of techniques will give you a solid beginning to create complex cloth. - No previous experience necessary "The Magic of Monoprints" (1 Day) Monoprinting is a technique in which pigments are applied to a sheet of vinyl, glass or plastic. A pattern is created using a variety of tools. While the pigment is still wet, the fabric is placed on top of the vinyl to create a unique design. While experimenting with colour, texture and pattern you will learn single and double plate monoprinting as well as resist and whole cloth monoprinting. "The Power of Pattern" (1 Day or more) In this workshop you will discover a thousand different paths to the same goal: gorgeous cloth. Learn how to see patterns in everyday objects and to turn them into exquisite colourful fabrics. Create your own stamps and explore positive/negative design aspects while printing a never-ending variety of repeating patterns in your own colour schemes. Thinking of unique gifts? Use the stamps you create to make fabulous T-shirts, cushion covers, bags, tea-towels, you name it! "Words and Images on Fabric" (1 Day or 2 Days) Learn how to create your own stamps and stencils and how to print personalized fabrics in glorious colours using Colour Vie pigments. - No previous experience necessary "Funky Tea Towels: More Than Monograms" (1 Day) Learn how to create your own stamps and stencils and how to print and paint personalized tea towels, napkins, place mats or any fabrics in vibrant or subdued colours - your choice. - No previous experience necessary "On the Bag: Print a Tote, Decorate a Tee!" (1 Day) Bring T-shirts, tote bags, aprons, place mats, cotton gloves, socks, whatever! Decorate or dye them with pigments for original and colourful fabric fun for any season. - No previous experience necessary "Garden Prints for Your Home Decorating" (1 Day) Ever wanted to bring your garden indoors? Now you can! Learn how to create prints from actual leaves and plants. 'Grow' them on your cloth in splendid colour. Print pillow cases, napkins, scarves, clothing, you name it. Also: learn how to create stunning backgrounds for your floral creations. - Bring some leaves with good veins. - No previous experience necessary Lectures by Gunnel Hag: "DYEING TO PRINT" (1 hour) This power point lecture is an introduction to the magic of colour and pattern in printed and dyed fabrics from around the world. I compare historical dyed and printed fabrics with contemporary fabrics with a view to understanding the techniques used in producing these exquisite textiles and to get a glimpse of where today's patterns and colours originate -how they were created and are still being produced to this day. "PRINTED AND DYED FABRICS - A JOURNEY OF BEAUTY" (1 - 1.5 hours) A slide presentation or power point lecture of printed and dyed fabrics from around the world, showing historical as well as contemporary and hand crafted samples. Enjoy seeing the fascinating techniques of Japanese shibori, Indian block making and printing, Samoan bark cloth and Indigo dyeing. I will also bring actual fabric samples.

Click image at right for full view of fabric