Kudzu Fiber Workshop with Beth Phillips & Ivy Borden

This workshop will cover all the necessary steps for harvesting, processing, and creatively using the delicate fibers extracted from the kudzu vine. Kudzu is sprawling vine introduced to the U.S. in the 19th century from East Asia, where it has been utilized as a natural resource for food, medicine, and cloth production for thousands of years. In the South today, it is typically viewed as a menace, a haunting invasive species capable of consuming whole forests and houses. Wouldn’t it be great if there was some way we could turn this foe into a friend? This workshop will teach you how! You will spend the weekend connecting with nature, learning the history and expansive uses of kudzu, and will take home your own batch of beautiful kudzu fiber along with the know-how to work with your local kudzu patch in the future. This workshop will involve driving to nearby locations for harvesting fresh kudzu vines and processing fermented vines in a shallow stream, so be prepared for outdoor conditions and uneven terrain. See below for the weekend’s schedule and details on what to expect: Saturday, June 7: • 10 AM – Meet at the Clarke building on Kentuck's campus for a brief introduction. Then, participants will travel together to an off-campus location for workshop introduction and kudzu harvesting. • 12 PM – Break for lunch (please pack a lunch or plan on picking something up with the hour break) • 1-4 PM – Migrate to Van De Graaff Park for cleaning and stripping vines in a shallow stream and laying inner fibers to dry. Sunday, June 8: • 12-4 PM – Meet at Kentuck to learn the process of turning raw dried fibers into long, fine thread. In addition to demonstrating the thread making process, participants will also have the opportunity to weave with their fibers on small looms, learn the basics of using kudzu thread for embroidery, see examples of kudzu paper and enjoy a few snacks prepared using kudzu as a primary ingredient. Participants will be able to take home their thread and any woven or embroidered creations they make during the workshop. You will also have the option of taking home the fresh vines you harvested on Saturday to ferment for 10 days in a plastic bag, at which point you will be able to practice what you have learned and start the process over to create more thread. All participants will need to wear appropriate outdoor attire (closed toe shoes and outdoor clothing--long pants and sleeves are up to the participant). Participants will also need to wear gloves if they have any skin allergies related to fermented plant materials. Please note that this workshop takes place in several locations and that participants will be traversing uneven terrain, shallow stream beds, exposure to bugs and sun, and general outdoor conditions in vegetation. This class is for ages 18+. The minimum for this class is 3, and the maximum is 10. If the class does not meet the minimum, participants will be refunded. Tickets are non-refundable once the registration deadline ends. Please email Molly Nelko, Program Manager, at mnelko@kentuck.org with any questions. Kentuck workshops are non-refundable after the registration closes. If you would like to cancel before the deadline passes, please email mbell@kentuck.org or call 205-758-1257. If the class does not meet the minimum by the registration deadline and the workshop is cancelled, all participants will be refunded their registration fees. About the instructors: This workshop will be lead by mother-daughter duo Beth Phillips and Ivy Borden. Beth is based out of north Alabama and has been working artistically with kudzu for nearly twenty years as “Kudzu Mama.” Her daughter Ivy Borden researched creative uses of kudzu during her graduate studies at the University of Alabama and traveled to Shimada, Japan to learn the processes featured in this workshop from the Oigawa Kuzu-fu Studio. Tatsuhiko Murai and his family at the Oigawa Kuzu-fu Studio are among the last in Japan preserving the craft tradition of kuzu-fu (kudzu cloth). Their studio deserves imminent credit for the information participants will take away from this kudzu fiber workshop hosted by Kentuck. Made possible in part by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.