Batik workshop at New Horizon Special School

Today I joined in a batik workshop at the New Horizon Special School - a private parent run education and training centre for children and adults with intellectual disability

http://www.newhorizon-school-gh.com/

The students learn a number of traditional vocational skills which include basket making, and batik

These are sponge stamps, it is possible to dip once and use multiple times, but I found that finding the right pressure and length of soaking time tricky, so chose a wooden stamp

 remains of previous stamping

Mariam our instructor

 I chose a simple geometric pattern

 as did other ladies, but with more spacing

 A cold bath to firm the wax

followed by a dye bath

 and a sun bathe

The colours in the dye baths also changes with time, so it is like alchemy, green turns orange, pink is yellow 

 After the first dye and dry (I liked this colour best...)

 After the second phase of applying wax (in opposite directions)

 Waiting for the second wax phase

 

After a second dye bath and and dry in the sun, a hot bath removed most of the wax - this is reused over and over 

 A wash

 and voila, badly printed batik - but lots of fun

 Our efforts drying - all very different, but all lovely

Ghana has lots of very beautiful batik work for purchase, so I don't think we will be putting the professionals out of business any time soon!

While I was waiting my turn at the wax table, I had a look round the patchwork workshop

From a pile of scraps

To paper piecing 

which are hand stitched together

to form patchworks

 

worklogs - the students receive a small amount of compensation for their handicraft at the end of the year

I had a great if sweaty morning, and look forward to going back for a different technique in a few weeks!