Banner Making Workshop

One of my sample pieces for the workshop

This weekend I ran another textile workshop at Tullie House. This one was entitled 'Textile Banners, and it was a really lovely session. Most of the participants had done one or more of my workshops in the past which was great because it meant I already knew a little bit about most of them so could more easily offer suggestions suited to them and it also is a very nice confidence boost; I must be doing something right if people want to come back for more!

Choosing fabrics

Choosing fabrics

Choosing fabrics

I love running workshops, I find them a really satisfying and enjoyable part of my work. I get to do something I love and to share my interest and skills with other people. I think my favourite thing about running workshops is when I'm able to inspire people and help them achieve those mini eureka moments, whether it's mastering a certain stitch, completing something or finding the perfect technique or material for a piece. I was very gratified today as one of the participants bought a beautiful owl piece in she'd made inspired by my 'Embellishing Printed Textiles' workshop, I was also pleased to hear that other participants from that workshop had been really inspired to keep working with some of the techniques I'd shown them.

Adding stitch and developing designs

Adding stitch and developing designs

Adding stitch and developing designs

I sometimes (often) worry that I  don't 'do' enough during some of my workshops but with certain things, particularly hand stitch, I think it's really important to just have time to work on things without being constantly bombarded with information. I try to strike a balance between showing new techniques and giving people the opportunity, time and space to be creative and find their own path. I'm sure I don't always get it spot on but I think in our busy lives it's important to take time to work slowly, with our hands and to just try things and see what happens. As one of my participants today said "I'm just here to play, I'm too old to take it too seriously." Whilst I contest the too old part I think the part about not taking it too seriously and allowing ourselves to play is very important.

Adding stitch and developing designs

Adding stitch and developing designs

Adding stitch and developing designs

With this in mind I worked on a mini banner of my own today which I used for demonstrating techniques but also as an opportunity to play. I used fabrics and threads that I might not use in my 'proper' work but one of the things I am learning is that everything is connected. So, whilst I might not count this as a 'proper' piece of work there will be something in it that will feed into another piece. Often these play pieces allow me to make discoveries, sometimes big sometimes small, that will allow me to take my practice forward. They also offer me an opportunity to do something I love and that in itself, I believe, is very important.

Adding stitch and developing designs

My example/play piece

Shadow Work Workshop

Samples and materials ready for the workshop

In February I delivered a Shadow Work workshop for the Cumberland Branch of the Embroiderers Guild. I was really nervous about this workshop as some of the embroiderers have been stitching longer than I've been alive! I wanted to create a workshop that focused not so much on traditional ways of doing things (as I knew many of the participants would be far better at it than me anyway) but on ways of taking the traditional techniques and using them in a more personal way.

Selecting and transferring designs

Selecting and transferring designs

Selecting and transferring designs

This workshop also inspired a piece of work, called In the Shadows, which I really enjoyed making. It was also good to have a big piece of work to show the participants as traditionally shadow work is worked on quite a small scale. I had also combined several techniques to show that we don't need to be limited to working with just one method at a time.

Tacking fabrics ready to stitch

Tacking fabrics ready to stitch

Stitching

One of the things that I often find when running workshops is that people are very nervous about implementing their own ideas and have little confidence in their own creativity. They are often worried about getting it 'wrong' and making sure they do things the 'right' way. Personally I find this an odd approach as for me it is a natural thing to want to experiment and try new things but I do understand why people feel that way. I hope in my workshops that I can give people the confidence and freedom to try something different and not worry too much about getting it 'right.'

Experimenting with fabrics

Pin Stitch

Stitch and tea...

To help limit people's worry about design and creating something I did provide several designs for people and encouraged participants to use these as a starting point to try out their own ideas. Because they were my designs they did of course largely feature birds so a lot of bird samples were produced during the workshop!

Pieces from the workshop

Pieces from the workshop

Pieces from the workshop

I really enjoyed the workshop, it was great seeing people playing around with fabrics and trying things out especially things that they might not normally have tried. For most the session everyone was very quiet, deep in concentration working on their stitching. This kind of silence in a workshop is very satisfying, knowing that you've shown people something they want to spend time learning. I always find I learn something new too when I run a workshop, whether it's a new artist to look at, a technique to try out or using something in a different way.

Pieces from the workshop

Pieces from the workshop

Pieces from the workshop

Sunshine: The Heathlands Project Quilt 2015

Work in progress

Once again it is that time of year where myself and my textiles group up at The Heathlands Project embark on the insanity that is making a quilt for the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham. This will be our fifth quilt; every year I swear we're not going to do another one but the guys always talk me round. Secretly I really enjoy these projects and it's a great opportunity for the guys to showcase their work further afield. It's also great seeing how much people's skills and ideas have developed and being able to hand over more and more of the making to the members and to other staff each year. Soon I will be surplus to requirement (sob sob.)

Using the patterns found in fabric

Arranging pieces

Working from our designs

Usually I get the members to choose the theme but for various reasons I was a bit late getting this project going this year and because of when the forms have to be submitted by I had to make an executive decision and choose a theme. Actually, I wanted to do 'Cosmos' but I was over ruled by my staff who wanted 'Sunshine.' So, our 2015 quilt is based on the theme of sunshine. I harbour a sneaky suspicion that this is simply a means to make me use orange. (For anyone who doesn't know me, I really dislike the colour orange, people use this against me.)

Translating drawings using fabric appliqué

Stitching designs

Appliqué and stitching

Each year I try and do something a little bit different with the guys, even though the group changes there are usually a few in the group who've worked on quilts with me before and it's a good opportunity to introduce them to new techniques. This year we're aiming for a random, crazy patchwork type of affair with some kantha style stitching. As I write this I realise this may be something of a challenge...

Building up the design

Design and patch

Adding extra bits

I have asked each member to work on an individual patch using whatever technique they like. Most of the members have chosen to use a combination of appliqué and embroidery but we also have some needle felting, beading and tie dye. These patches will then be arranged and stitched onto a base cloth and the whole lot quilted with lines of stitching. I want to leave the edges of the individual patches raw to add more texture and because we've done paper pieced patchwork several times already. I selected a load of fabrics to use so that there is a common theme running throughout the patches to help it all work together as a finished piece.

Working together

Working in layers

This year I have handed over a lot of the work to other support staff, this is good for me as it frees my time for other things and also reminds me that I work with a team of very capable people with excellent ideas who often don't need my help! I hope that it's good for them too as they realise they can successfully take more of a lead role, building their confidence and hopefully job satisfaction.

Tacking pieces down

Manipulating fabric

As always I have so far been impressed with the ideas the guys have come up with. Already we have several beautiful patches, all different and showing the personality of the maker. Soon I will be able to start putting it all together. Or maybe I will delegate that task too...

Design and patch

Finished patch (worked independently)

Finished patch

For interest, you can follow the links below to see our previous quilting endeavours...
2014 The Summer
2013 Stitching Friendship
2012 Magik
2011 The Forest

My patch in progress

Detail

Exploring Embroidery and Appliqué Workshop

Appliqué and Embroidery experiments

I had a lovely day at The Hut on Saturday running an Embroidery and Appliqué workshop. Although there were only a few participants there was still a good atmosphere and as the numbers were low I was able to give each participant more of my time and attention and even do a bit of stitching myself.

Some of my samples

All set up and ready to stitch!

As I wasn't sure how much experience the participants would have I kept my planning for the workshop quite open so that I could easily adapt to what people wanted. I took a wide selection of samples for people to look at and asked if there was anything people particularly wanted to try. Reverse appliqué was a popular choice so that ended up being the main focus of the workshop.

Choosing, sorting, selecting, arranging

Exploring different options

I like my workshops to be relaxed, enjoyable and above all give people the chance to be creative so I encouraged everyone to experiment and try things out. Luckily the group were very open to trying new things and were really positive about giving things a go. As always I enjoyed seeing how each person came up with something so different even though we all had the same materials and starting point.

The first cut

Suffolk puffs

Stitch experiments

By the end of the day each of the participants had a lovely piece of work that although not necessarily complete was well on the way and everyone had tried something different. As I often do after sessions like this I felt tired but happy and full of ideas and enthusiasm for my subject.

Flower experiemnts

Suffolk puff detail

Reverse appliqué detail

Reverse Appliqué and embroidery piece

Reverse appliqué, appliqué and embroidery

Detail

One of the things that I've taken from this session from a professional point of view is that it would possibly be good to offer more specific workshops; appliqué is such a huge subject area that it could be easily broken down further allowing people chance to develop more specialised skills. For example, one session could focus on reverse appliqué and another on shadow appliqué. And as for embroidery you could spend moths or even years on just one stitch!

My sample piece