Fishskin Tanning
Fish Leather is a traditional hand made textile that has been used by river and ocean communities in China, Japan, Russia, Greenland, Iceland,Scandinavia, Alaska and Canada and down the Pacific for thousands of years.
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It was used to make clothing and practical items for everyday life. In Iceland distance was measured by how many fish skins it took to walk as shoes were made from the skins.
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For our ancestors it was a matter of survival.
Salmon skin descaled
Indigo dyed fish skins
In this one day workshop we will prepare the skins and learn a little about the different fish available to us.
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We will de flesh and de scale the skins.
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We will prepare the tannin solution.
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We will learn about different tanning methods.
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We will learn about washing and drying our fish skins.
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Manipulating the skin to soften
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Oiling
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What can be made with fish skins
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The skins can be coloured with natural dyes which we will discuss
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Notes will accompany this one day workshop
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Honouring the fish will be part of this day