This workshop is a follow-on to the Pictorially Speaking lecture, exploring various ways you could engage with creating your own imagery in cloth. We look at using weaving techniques, stitching techniques (audience input essential!), dyeing and felting techniques, begining with your own source material and developing individual ways to bring out your interpretation. 2-day workshop.

Design Days - Introduction

Design days are workshops from 1/2 day to a weekend (or longer) where we look at different approaches to designing, from step-by-step logical thinking to totally imaginative and whacky. Topics include Weave Design Workshops, Colour Workshops, Texture Workshops and a general Design Days Workshop.

Most of these workshops are all about stimulating your mind and creativity to be able to find inspiration from many different sources and to bring those into your work. It is an ongoing process and as such, you will not necessarily have a finished product to take away with you at the end, except for my workshop notes and anything you have been doing during the workshop. My aim is to open your mind to different ways of looking and thinking so that you are able to develop your work in ways that are useful and inspiring to you.

If there are a lot of people doing the workshop, I usually do a talk/demonstration, then split people into groups to explore certain aspects so that I can go round each group and help, if needed. After a certain time period (roughly an hour), people can move into a different group to do a different thing, or stay with the activity they are doing - entirely up to them as an individual. That way, everyone is catered for without anyone feeling that they are being herded!

If there are relatively few people (depending on space), then we can explore one aspect at a time.

For any of the topics, I send out equipment lists and information (such as warping/threading instructions for weaving workshops) in advance, and give handouts during the day. Any fibres/fabric/papers etc that I bring and the participants use are charged at cost, although I encourage people to collect their own material wherever possible. Hours are usually 10 - 4 with an hour for lunch (optional !)

Wolverhampton Embroiderers Guild - Summer 09
...We drew, painted, printed, cut, glued, layered, collaged, ripped, but most importanly, we laughed. Today has been a great opportunity to experiment, Stacey. We had a great time. Thank you."

Fees 2009/10

£360 for 2-day workshop

I prepare handouts for each of my workshops and make a small charge to cover my costs for the folders. Any of my materials which are used will be charged at cost, although I encourage students to bring their own materials wherever possible.

Mileage rate : 35p/mile *
Please note, this is a suggested mileage rate. From time to time, depending on the state of petrol prices, I may have to increase the mileage allowance for bookings taken a year or so in advance. I will always contact you in advance if this is the case.

Contact me to discuss your requirements and dates.

Design Days Workshops in detail :

Weave Design Workshops

Weave Design Workshops are specifically for weavers who want to create their own designs. We explore various ways of achieving different designs, for instance

i) taking an existing threading pattern and playing around with weft plan variations and different weft yarns in order to design new weaves

iii) using proportions, symmetry, asymmetry, Fibonacci series, etc to create specific design results

iv) playing a variation on Ann Sutton's design game where you take cards which give you certain instructions or parameters, and working out how you can design something from your hand of cards

This workshop can be an afternoon (limited to discussions and a little practical paper work). It can also be a whole day or a weekend where we can try different ideas out on paper. It can also be a weekend where everyone turns up with their looms previously warped according to instructions, and after trying out ideas on paper, all participants can experiment on their own looms. Longer workshops would enable participants to try ideas out on other looms.

For longer workshops, all the above, plus table looms, weft yarns, shuttles, threading hook, sleying hook

Contact me to discuss your requirements and dates.

Colour Workshops

Colour workshops focus specifically on colour, its properties, colour studies with yarn, fibres and fabrics, crayons and paints. We all have our favourite colours - in the clothes we choose to wear, the interior decoration of our homes, and in colours we prefer to see together. Sometimes we are afraid to venture into using other colours because they feel unfamiliar, and sometimes even uncomfortable. One part of the workshop - "That's Not My Colour" - will help you to approach this subject, and encourage you to play with colour to find new combinations which may well surprise you. We look at how to translate ideas from a source of inspiration into your chosen medium through colour selection and use of proportion and encourage you to trust your colour judgement.

Magazines suitable for being torn up, coloured pencils/crayons/watercolour paints, PVA glue, pencil, notepad, yarns, fabrics scraps, source of inspiration (postcards, pictures, fabric)

Contact me to discuss your requirements and dates.

Texture Workshops

Texture can be a tricky thing to try to put into our work. In weaving, texture can be created through the selection of textured yarns, or the interplay of different yarns, or the choice of weave structure, or the results of differential shrinkage during finishing, or indeed through a combination of any of them.

In textile surface design, texture can be applied in various ways - combining different textured fabrics, incorporating felting fibres onto fabric and using other media to combine with the fabric to create texture, in embroidery techniques, applique, quilting, etc...

In general mixed media art, texture can be created through the application of as many different media as your household and garden and beach can find! Paper, sand, gravel, cat litter, sugar, tea, yarns, cling film, plasters, silver foil, shells, wood of all sorts, sandpaper, toothpicks, etc .... the list is endless. And there are the ways in which these things are applied, or removed - scratching, painting, layering, tearing, piercing, burning, rubbing, scoring, stippling, rolling, etc.....

This workshop is designed to encourage you to think laterally when it comes to creating texture and to inspire you to use texture as a design inspiration whatever your medium.

Weavers Workshop - squared paper, pencil, notepad, and, for longer workshops, pre-warped looms, weft yarns, shuttles.

Textile surface Design - fabrics, sewing threads, needles, fibres, yarns, base fabric (Please note - As I come from a weaving background, I leave the sewing techniques up to you!)

Everyone - mixed media from your home (see above), PVA glue, watercolour paper, notepad

Contact me to discuss your requirements and dates.

Design Days Workshop - mixed crafts

For all groups, whether textile enthusiasts, weavers, or people who just want an introduction into design, we look at various sources of inspiration - postcards, books, other textile pieces, pictures - and work out how we can use elements from our source of inspiration to create our own work in our various media. You can choose to focus on colour - looking at how colours work together in your source of inspiration and how you can use that in your work; texture - how you can use it to stimulate your powers of expression in your chosen medium; proportions, symmetry, asymmetry, Fibonacci series, whatever takes your fancy. Every person has their own preferences and the workshop is designed to allow everyone to pursue their own ideas in whatever way suits them. For those that want to move around and try different approaches, there is time to do that. For those who prefer to explore one particular method, you are welcome to do that.

Inspiration : you need to bring along photos or photocopies of things that inspire you, postcards, pictures, fabric, etc

Tools : crayons and/or paints, yarns, fabric, whatever you have around in your house (see Texture Workshop above), magazines that can be torn up.

Contact me to discuss your requirements and dates.

Visiting Workshops