A New Starting Point - 5 day Summer School. 18th - 22nd July at the IDC Studios

This is a detail of the larger piece by Morag which is featured further down this post.

A New Starting Point is one of my favourite workshops. It is newspaper based and can be taught over 2 - 5 days. This summer school at Inkberrow Design Centre was the 5 day version which means we could add print and stitching onto water soluble fabric.

I love teaching at the IDC studios, there is plenty of room and the atmosphere is fabulous, slightly bonkers - just brilliant. There is room for the students to work comfortably.

 

Starting to paint up the newspaper and Bondaweb.

The first thing we got on with was the 'pretty and background'
technique featured in my book Reclaimed Textiles. Basically tearing, layering and then tearing again . . . working with both painted and unpainted Bondaweb.

The group were working with all types of paper, old books, magazine pages, music . . . 

We also included mica flakes and gilding flake - of course we did. 

 

 

Some of the torn paper samples ready to print and stitch onto.

Starting to print.

Morag produced a great piece of work (well they did) and this is how it was layered and as she was sitting close to me I managed to get a couple of step by step photos.

A large scale Pretty and Background

This was then printed onto with a peacock feather printing block in colour tones that were in the work. So they bleed in and out.

Some of these prints were then machine stitched to give them a bit more definition.

The same printing block was then used to print onto Solufleece, a water soluble fabric. It is a very efficient wash away.

The free machine stitched design on the water soluble Solufleece.

Once stitched the Solufleece was washed away.

The machine embroidered designs were then stitched onto the printed background. Morag was going to make it into a book cover by ironing the piece onto Decovil 1 but we thought it would look wonderful as a wall piece.  

 

 

This is Anne's printed and stitched background, again this will be going onto a canvas. I love the way everything blends in with the water soluble stitched leaves just giving a bit of texture.

We then got onto the newspaper faux chenille that I always include on this workshop. It is great fun and you get fabulous results.

6 sheets of A4 newspaper were layered onto a sew in interfacing. (the interfacing stops the newspaper from falling apart.). This layers are then stitched to form channels.

The channels are then cut - only cutting the newspaper, not the interfacing on the bottom. This can be an acquired art!!!!

The channels are then distressed to create fabulous results.

Here are some of the samples.

We then made a second sample, layering polyester organza in between the newspaper. The organza fluffs up beautifully when the sample is distressed.

This is Tara's fabulous piece.

 

A couple of images of the group hard at work.

The idea was for the students to either cover a canvas, make a book cover or a vessel . . . 

This is Tara's canvas in the making - she whisked it away before I could take a finished photo.

This is Anne's lovely organza faux chenille vessel.

A proud Bex with her finished canvas.

Sharon used one of her paper pieces to cover a box file . .

 . . and another to start making a handbag.

This was Anne's ad Lyn's table - such  a lot of beautiful work.

Lyn is a silversmith and thoroughly enjoyed playing with the Decovil 1.

I love the end of the workshop - that sounds bad - but you know what I mean. When the group walk around and look at each others work. Asking questions and generally admiring.

This is Lindy's, Bex and Sharon's table.

 

Morags table.

Ness's table . . .

Ness's rather wonderful vessel.

 

So - you can see we had a rather wonderful 5 days together. It is hard to get workshops longer than 2 days to run, they cost more and for those of you that work, you have to take time off work. However, on a longer workshop you can really get into the techniques you are learning and get on with some stitch, which is always the best part for me.

Unfortunately I have had to cancel my last 5 day workshop this year at The Bridge in Brighton in August. I have sold my house and I need to have the time to pack up the house - my completion date is around the end of August - gulp!! 

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I will be off to The Quilt Association in Wales on Thursday to teach Layered, Jeweled Surfaces, Friday - Sunday, then on Monday I will drive to Art Van Go to teach Sticky and Shiny, my new workshop on foiling.

Life is dashing by at the moment, I am only just coping, I feel as though I have a tiger by the tail. If I haven't replied to an email, just give me a nudge!!!

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Hi Diana, will try to ring soon to update you.

Jill - I trust you are having the best time - please give the gang my love.

Tod - enjoy looking at the short list. 

x x x