MARCH - workshops

This month's workshops focus on different hand sewing methods. I'm really excited about this month's activities as we are introducing some new classes and textile teachers to Fabrications fold!
Starting with this Sunday 4th March, Katherine May fresh from her popular classes at the V+ A this week is running a quilting class. For those of you unfamiliar with the technique, quilting is the decorative sewing through of your patchwork fabric or whole cloth and wadding to create designs and texture. Katherine wanted to do a class that focuses on quilting as she found that it tended to get rushed at the end of her patchwork classes as students get engrossed in the patchwork part. She also wanted to highlight historical and contemporary examples and show the variety of applications for the technique.


On Saturday 17th March, local textile artist Jessie Chorley is running her full day special workshop 'embroidered memory books and pages'. Once you've booked on, Jessie will send you a materials list and encourages you to bring along special fabrics and mementos so you create something truly unique to you. Before you get going with learning the embroidery and applique methods that Jessie uses, she will talk about the inspiration behind her own narrative textile works and take you on a visit to her shop on nearby Columbia Road. The full day will give the space to really get into the making process.


On Sunday 18th March, Sarah Corbett will be running her Craftivism workshop - making mini protest banners. For regular followers of my blog, I have written about a number of Craftivist projects that Sarah has initiated. Sarah set up the Craftivist Collective and is seen as one of the leading spokespeople for the global craftivist movement. During the workshop she will talk about how the movement started and the benefits of using craft as a beautiful, non threatening and thought provoking method to activism. It will also be very creative and hands on, where you will learn how to interpret design and text into cross stitch or embroidery and create your very own mini protest banner, which hopefully you will want to hang out in the street after the workshop as other craftivists do!

On Sunday 25th March, I will be running an introduction to weaving workshop. During the class I explain how to create your 'warp' and 'weft' looking at colour, design and material choices. I will show 3 different weaving techniques - flat board weaving, a technique I developed for my woven upcycled inner tubes, 'tube matting and cushions'. Peg loom weaving on wool-n-dance peg looms. Both these methods are very low tech and a quick method to create fabric. Then there will be opportunity to have a go on my antique foot peddled loom. - a slower process but more intricate. You will create a series of samples to take away.