Tying with Fabric with Ztella

[ENG]

This class will be taught in English.

Fabrics are everywhere, yet they’re often overlooked as tools for tying and artistic rope practice.

In this class, we’ll explore how everyday textiles, from scarves to larger pieces of fabric, can become expressive tools for tying on their own and in combination with rope. Thinking beyond rope expands both the aesthetic and sensory possibilities of our practice, inviting new textures, movement, and forms of connection.

Furthermore, fabrics offer a lower-risk way to explore many of the same principles as rope. Their broader surface distributes pressure more evenly, reducing the risk of nerve or circulatory issues while creating a distinctly different tactile experience. Scarves, for example, are also wonderfully accessible, easy to carry, readily available, and hiding in plain sight.

In this workshop, we’ll cover:

• Safety considerations
• Different types of scarves and fabrics
• Practical tying techniques
• Creative ways to incorporate fabric and clothing into artistic rope practices

The workshop is open to everyone: whether you're obsessed with a certain type of fabric, want to better utilize clothing while tying, or are curious about tying with a different medium than purely rope.

Prerequisites
No prior experience is required, but knowledge of the basics, like single and double column ties, is recommended.

Please Bring

We recommend bringing at least 3 scarves or smaller pieces of fabric, and any large pieces of fabric or clothing you might want to experiment with. This can be a big sheet of fabric or also just a really puffy sweater or long dress.

Please also bring at least two ropes, but more if you’re already able to tie more advanced things and want to experiment with that.

Teacher:

Ztella loves rope for the intense and touching connection that it can create, and she is also obsessed with shibari as a craft. Based in Berlin, she offers regular study groups and weekend intensives and also teaches internationally at festivals, retreats, and conferences.

Her teaching style emphasizes adaptability and safety, opening space for creativity and connection. She believes that participants learn best in well-structured classes in which the specific skill sets of both riggers and models, and their dynamic together, are foregrounded. In her classes, participants are encouraged to explore the mechanics and logic—the why and how—of rope.

You can find her at www.ztella.de, @Ztella on FetLife or @ztellaropes on Instagram.

Her Model gonna be announced soon.

Costs:

• €120 per pair
• Students and trainees can receive a 10% discount per person if needed (please contact me via email before booking!)
• You can also book the different bundles to save some money!

Location & Schedule:

• Happy Yoga Essen (Rüttenscheider Platz 10, entrance: opposite of Rosastr. 10, 45130 Essen)
• Date: November 27, 2026
• Doors open: 18:45
• Start: 19:00
• End: 22:00

Picture:

Model: Saphyre
Rigger: Ztella
Photographer: Harmony Shields