Workshops
Embroidered hills
This is a leisurely whole-day workshop. It is suitable for anyone from beginner to expert. You just need some basic knowledge of your sewing machine. I will show you simple ways to produce painted backgrounds in minutes, which can be repeated at home and used for many landscape projects. We will layer up fabrics and textures to create a base for a simple landscape ranging from far away hills to close up fields and hedges. Then we bring everything to life with stitch – simple straight stitch and zigzag with the machine feed-dogs down and I will demonstrate some easy ideas and tricks for embroidering trees, foliage and flowers.
Bluebells in the woods
This workshop is a fast paced one day workshop suitable for people who have done some free machine embroidery before. Or it works well as a leisurely 2 day workshop even for those with just a little experience, giving time to play with painting backgrounds and making samples which can be used later to make cards or miniatures. I will show you how simple it is to create a painted background suitable for a woodland scene. We will build up layers of fabrics and textures, adding paint as needed and I will demonstrate easy ways to embroider trees, undergrowth and bark before we add glorious swathes of bluebells, near and far.
Flowers in the field or Poppies in the field
A fun one day workshop. The embroidery here can be fairly simple, which means it is suitable for those with just a little free machine embroidery experience. The emphasis is on fun and few rules – painting a background and seeing what sort of landscape emerges and using the shapes and colours produced as a starter for the design. We then build up grasses and flowers in vibrant colours to capture a flower meadow in all it’s glory. And if you fancy a field full of blue poppies then why not?!
This workshop can be further developed to include various types of flowers in both machine and hand embroidery. This makes a beautiful "Flowers in the Field" piece which allows individuals to choose to use their skills in either machine or hand embroidery as they wish.
My house
Capture a portrait of your house in embroidery! We learn how to get that picture of your house onto this piece of fabric, painting backgrounds, capture brick and other building surfaces, windows and other details. We can be realistic or add the sort of garden flowers you always dreamed of but never have time for in real life! One day workshop suitable for anyone who has a basic knowledge of their sewing machine and a little experience of free machine embroidery being an advantage.
Talks
Lifetime of looking
I am happy to bring along samples of my work, backgrounds and textures to feel whilst I share a little bit about my work and show the eclectic mix of fabric scraps that end up in it and share the influences upon it. I will share some of my methods that I use for trees, foliage and hedges, water and any other natural surface that may appear. To me a favourite landscape is as much about what I feel about the scene as what I can see in front of me and so I will try to share the challenge of trying to bring both sides together in my embroidery. Hopefully I don’t take myself too seriously and it is all encouraging and fairly lighthearted!
Fees
Workshops can be delivered to your group of up to 16 or contact me if you are interested in a special day of small group stitching!
Workshops delivered to your own group at your own venue are £220 plus mileage at 45p/mile for a maximum of 16 particpants. Material packs are available at additional cost for each participant. Contact me with your request and I will happily discuss whatever you want.
Talks to your group are £120 plus mileage at 45p/mile. In the event an overnight stay is required, then I request a contribution of £75 towards the cost of BandB.