Textile Courses and Workshops 2024
Machine embroidery for beginners - continuation course
x 5 Monday evenings 6.30 - 8.30pm April 15th, 22nd, 29th, May 13th, 20th BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£150
Suitable for those with some basic experience of machine embroidery, come and join a friendly small group and be guided to learn some beautiful techniques in the wonderful art of machine embroidery. Each week we will work on different sample, teaching you a range of skills, which you can then use to work on your own small project. With lots of one to one guidance and step by step help, all you need is a sewing machine with an embroidery foot and a good sense of humour!
Under the Sea - Mixed media and hand stitch
x 5 Tuesday mornings 10 - 1 pm April 16th, 23rd, 30th, May 7th, 14th BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£220 including all materials
Join me on this voyage into mixed media and hand stitch, to have fun creating some underwater, deep sea inspired, unusual embroideries. Suitable for complete beginners, or those with some experience, this five week course will cover a range of fun mixed media techniques. We'll begin by using heat transfer paints and the heat press to make a printed background, which we'll add to with stamps and stencils. Explore creating texture with mixed media and using heat to make a distressed background. Add hot foils for some extra underwater shimmer and then enjoy spending time embellishing with hand stitch to make one or two gorgeous finished pieces. There will be lots of one to one guidance in a small, friendly group with the emphasis on experimentation and having fun!
Machine Embroidery for Beginners - Taster Day
Friday April 19th 10 - 3pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£65 including all materials
Suitable for beginners, come along and learn the basics of machine embroidery. We will work on two simple projects, stitching a small picture of a tree and then be introduced to the magic of dissolvable fabric, by making a simple "snipped thread" bowl. With lots of one to one guidance and step by step help, all you need is a sewing machine with an embroidery foot and a good sense of humour!
Silk Painting for Beginners
Thursday 2nd May OR Friday 3rd May 10 - 3pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£75 including materials
Learn the basics of simple silk painting techniques to create beautiful painted silk fabric. We will look at a range of techniques, such as painting into wet and dry fabric, using salt to create texture and using gutta to create lines and patterns. The colours achieved are stunning and the paints I use are easily set using an iron (no need to steam!). Spend the day playing with colour and create some gorgeous samples to take away and add to your stash to be stitched or made into something beautiful. This really is a very fun, easy and satisfying skill to learn and you will be thrilled with the results!
Gelli Printing Patterns and Textures
Thursday 9th May 10 - 1pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£50 including materials
Join me for a "stash busting" morning of printing, making interesting patterns using found textures, flowers and leaves, plus simple house hold items and upcycled materials, to create some beautiful and unique backgrounds onto both fabric and paper. We'll be using a gelli plate to try out all sorts of different printing techniques, and you'll be able to experiment with some unusual and gorgeous effects. You'll come away with a whole selection of different samples for use as materials for future projects in embroidery, or card making. Why not also come along to my "Collaged fabric landscape" workshop on Thursday 16th May and transform your printed stash into a beautiful new art work?
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Note: Most materials will be supplied, but you will need to bring some additional small pieces of plain fabric to print on.
Machine Embroidered Collaged Landscape
Thursday 16th May 10 - 1 pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£50 including all materials
Suitable for those with basic experience of machine embroidery, tear, cut and collage scraps of fabric to make a background collage. Then use some simple machine stitching to add in details and complete. You will need to bring along your own sewing machine with embroidery foot and a selection of threads. Why not also come along to my Gelli Printing workshop on Thursday 9th May to create your very own stash of interesting background fabrics to use?
Machine Embroidered Moths and Butterflies
Friday 10th May 10 - 3 pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£65 including all materials
Suitable for those with some experience of machine embroidery, learn how to make these beautiful butterfly and moth motifs using dissolvable fabric. Use as an embellishment, as a window hanging or as the basis for a whole new artwork. You will need to bring along your own sewing machine with embroidery foot and a selection of threads, but all fabric is included.
Machine Embroidered leaves and flowers
Friday 17th May 10 - 3 pm BOOK NOW
Garden Studio, Storrington
£65 including all materials
Suitable for those with some experience of machine embroidery, learn how to make a variety of beautiful machine embroidered fabric flowers and leaves, suitable for all sorts of embellishments and accessories. Then enjoy adding beads, buttons or sequins to complete your pieces. We will be using organza and net along with dissolvable fabric to create some stunning effects. You will need to bring along your own sewing machine with embroidery foot and a selection of threads, but all fabric is included.
Creative Textiles Monthly Group
Monthly Friday mornings 10 - 3 pm starting 24th May 2 PLACES AVAILABLBE
Garden Studio, Storrington
Would you like the creative stimulation of a regular workshop and one to one guided help, to give you support and encouragement for your projects, but with out the commitment of having to attend every week? Would you like the support and friendship of a small group and my ongoing tuition to help you stay motivated? Find out more..
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Confident colour for textiles
Friday 5th July 9.30 - 1.30 BOOK NOW
Sussex Prairie Gardens, near Henfield
£70 including all materials, plus refreshments and all day entry to the gardens
Join me in this master class to learn how a colour wheel works and the principles of design, to help choose an effective colour scheme for your embroideries, quilts or other textile art projects. Gain confidence in understanding how different colours work together to create lively contrasts or pleasing harmonies and how adding dark or light can alter how colours appear. Using the gardens as inspiration, we will then experiment with building up colour palettes and play with hand stitch to make some beautiful small samples. You will leave with new ideas, a greater understanding of how to interpret colour in your work and a series of inspiring colour swatches for use in your future projects.
Making Textile Vessels - mixed media and hand embroidery
2 day course 9 am - 2 pm Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July OR Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th October
Sussex Prairie Gardens, near Henfield
£160 including all materials, plus refreshments and all day entry to the gardens
This two day workshop will introduce you to a range of techniques; mixing textiles and hand embroidery with some unusual mixed media, to create a beautiful soft fabric vessel. This could be used as a cover to enhance a flower vase, or as a stand-alone decorative item. You will learn step by step, how to create a gorgeous textured background by using paint on stabilising fabric and adding interesting textures and colours like mulberry bark and silk cocoons or carrier rods, to build up some fascinating surface decoration. I will show you how to add metallic elements using foils and copper shim, plus how to use hand embroidery stitches and other embellishments, to make this a truly three-dimensional work. Learn how to fold and shape your vessel, then add a base and inner lining to complete. Price includes all materials and embellishments, with lots of interesting fibres and mixed media elements. Come and play and experiment with some unusual materials in this fun and relaxing course, to take your creativity into a whole new dimension!
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Fabric Weave the Landscape
Thursday 8th August 9.30 - 1.30 BOOK NOW
Sussex Prairie Gardens, near Henfield
£70 including all materials, plus refreshments and all day entry to the gardens
Learn the wonderful art of fabric weaving! Inspired by the colours and landscape of the Sussex Prairies, I will show you how to use scraps of fabric to make a beautiful woven background, also incorporating printed papers as well as textiles. We will then spend time embellishing with some gentle hand stitching; learn how to integrate couched threads and interesting textures with lots of one-to-one help and demonstrations of different stitches. Create a unique piece of work which could be framed, or perhaps used as the cover of a sketchbook, or made into a small purse.
Autumn Leaves: Experimental Appliqué and Hand Embroidery
Saturday 12th October 9.30 - 1.30 BOOK NOW
Sussex Prairie Gardens, near Henfield
£70 including all materials, plus refreshments and all day entry to the gardens
Study the shapes, outlines and patterns of leaves and their markings to cut out and create appliquéd shapes, which we will combine to make an unusual hand-embroidered piece on a felt background. Using Esther’s unique stash of hand printed and naturally dyed fabric and papers, we will consider the colours and markings of different leaves. We will look at ways of simplifying shapes and experiment with using negative space and contrasting colours and threads. Observe the structure of leaves and practice and learn some simple hand embroidery stitches to enhance and compliment your appliquéd pieces. You will create a beautiful and unusual piece and come away with lots of ideas for future works.
Unless otherwise stated, all workshops and courses take place in small, friendly groups (maximum class size of 5 students) in my bespoke garden studio. Be inspired by my relaxing, working studio with views of the garden and lots of my own work and samples for inspiration and reference. Lots of easy parking directly in front of the house and plenty of tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits!
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​ For further details or any questions, please contact me using the online form, or phone 07884 078172.
Do you have a group of friends who would like to book a private workshop?
I offer a range of discounted textile workshops for small groups, which can booked at a mutually convenient time. Click here for more more details.
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Talks for Groups
I am very happy to give talks and lectures to local embroidery and textile groups. Topics include:
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Inspiration from nature: investigating and developing ideas for textile art
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Using sketchbooks for textile artists
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Understanding colour and how it works
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For further details or any questions, please contact me using the online form, or phone 07884 078172.
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