Phoebe Benik, 8, of Keene reveals the pattern she created on cloth through a flower pounding process, using a hammer, at a workshop at Chase's Mill in Alstead Wednesday afternoon. Guests of Kristy Rhoades’ flower-pounding workshop at Chase’s Mill in Alstead on Wednesday, Aug. 14, listen as she describes what flowers work best for the practice, and how to properly treat and wash fabric used in the process.
Kristy Rhoades of Merrimack held two flower-pounding workshops at Chase’s Mill in Alstead on Aug. 11 and 14, teaching guests how to transfer the image of flowers and plant leaves onto fabric and paper. This pigment-transferring practice is also known as Tataki-zome, which translates to “hammering-dye” in Japanese.
Ellen Simmons of South Acworth prepares her second flower-pounding design during a workshop at Chase’s Mill in Alstead on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Ann Acheson of Alstead, co-chair of Chase’s Mill, had previously seen Rhoades wearing an apron and showcasing this natural dyeing technique and invited her to host a class at the mill for area residents who may be interested in learning more.
Rhoades, who has an IT background, described the flower-pounding workshop as a guided experimentation. She encouraged those who attended to experiment with the material they transfer onto, how they pound, how they secure their flowers and various other variables that affect the resulting image. “When you do it, everybody there is smiling.
Using the hammer is cathartic but.