Marbling on Fabric
Marbling on Fabric is an intermediate-to-advanced workshop for students who already understand the fundamentals of marbling on paper. The class focuses on adapting marbling techniques to fabric, including paint selection, fabric preparation, pattern development, and aftercare. Participants will experiment in pairs while pulling their own marbled fabrics.
Led by artist and educator Sarah Noreen, the workshop combines instruction with hands-on practice. Registration includes the consumable materials supplied in class and use of classroom tools, while students are responsible for preparing and bringing their own fabric and other listed supplies.
When: December 6
Showtimes: 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Run time: Approximately 6 hours
Venue: Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
Tickets: $250
Registration deadline: November 28, 2026
Level: Intermediate/Advanced. Participants must have completed an introduction to marbling on paper or have comparable experience with basic marbling preparation and techniques totaling at least five hours.
Workshop content: Students will learn the fundamentals of working with fabric, from choosing and preparing paints through caring for the finished fabric. The class offers opportunities to explore marbled patterns and develop original designs while working in teams of two to pull the fabric.
Instructor: Sarah Noreen is a Washington, D.C.-area artist and educator with an MFA in printmaking, an MA in art education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her practice centers mainly on printmaking, book arts, and paper arts, and is influenced by her multicultural upbringing in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and small-town Montana. She also works as a hand bookbinder at the Government Publishing Office.
Included materials: The registration price includes a $70 materials fee covering consumable supplies such as marbling paints and carrageenan, along with access to classroom tools.
Required supplies: Students must bring pre-prepared fabric for marbling, following the preparation instructions supplied with registration; one pound of alum; a clean, empty one-gallon milk or water jug; a clean bucket or large, deep bowl or tub; Dharma Dyer’s Detergent or Synthrapol; and 10–15 pieces of fabric no larger than 25 by 30 inches.
Fabric requirements: Fabric must be prepared before class. Cotton, silk, or linen may be used, but wool is not suitable. PFD, or prepared-for-dyeing, cotton is recommended because it accepts dyes and paints more readily. Cotton fat quarters are approximately 18 by 22 inches. Students may also try small pieces of store-bought fabric, although results vary by fabric.
Optional supplies: A personal apron may be brought; waterproof aprons are recommended, though a sturdy kitchen apron is also suitable. The studio will have extra aprons available.
Clothing recommendation: Sturdy shoes with good tread are recommended because the studio floor can become slippery when wet. Comfortable footwear is also important because participants will be standing for much of the day.
Accessibility: The page does not provide accessibility information.
Sample images: Sarah Noreen.