Shelley Rhodes workshop in Northumberland

Over this last weekend, I have been fortunate enough to join in on a Shelley Rhodes weekend at Gallery 45, in Felton, Northumberland, with the north east textile group - Fusion.
It was lovely to be able to create if only for a weekend, using various mixed media textile art techniques, which are generally quicker than traditional embroidery techniques.

So my fascination with textile art begins to grow, whilst most of my working life is dedicated to traditional embroidery.

Here is one of my creations based on edges.

Frances Pickering workshop . . .

20 pages hand dyed

hand stitched paper, with an acrylic wax surface, glued to Vilene

hand stitch detail

more paper applied to Vilene

transparent paper applied to paper with detailed drawing with a fine liner

This weekend, I did a Frances Pickering workshop, making a hand dyed book made with card, Vilene, and paper, which I based on the theme of my LOGO!

It remains unfinished, but I plan to add more detail every now and then, or when I have more time.

It was most enjoyable and part of my continuous professional development to learn new, or enhance existing skills.

I will blog more about it when I have more to show. 

Gwen Hedley workshop with Embroiderers' Guild North East

Fabulous time on the north east Embroiderers Guild residential spring school with Gwen Hedley in Collingwood college.  The course was entitled 'Along New Lines' and we basically made our A6 sketch books look "very exciting" whilst learning new ideas on the theme of 'line'.  See below . . .

inked woven paper

chalk pastel edge and smudge over inked surface on paper

Evolon suede - printed with acrylic

my samples . . .

I loved every minute of it alongside a great class on 21 students in all - we were all very productive, very pro-active and very inspired!  Thanks Gwen and to the organizers of the North East Region Embroiderers' Guild.

paper and metal

This work is inspired by Islamic design and repeat patterns, but not a copy.  I worked it in a very spontaneous way, by just drawing in basic lines and tracing the shapes very naively, although I maintained  a certain amount of accuracy.

paper and stitch

paper samples

paper samples - detail of folded paper

Samples of paper and stitch from some time ago, which I want to, need to and look forward to exploring again, in the not too distant future.  I concentrated on metallic coloured papers, manipulating, tearing and cutting, then attaching with stitch - simple stitch.