A fabulous hoard. Sessions seven, eight and nine of Experimental textiles are students choice. These sessions are negotiated within the groups and with myself. The groups decided they would like to work with metal on the first day of the session and have a go at working with painted Bondaweb and Tyvek on the second day. The girls brought all manner of metals to experiment with, and I supplied various wires and mesh. It is important that the students learn to work with resistant materials as well as fabrics and thread. The contrast of hard and soft can set off great ideas. Copper sheet that has been transfer printed. Alcohol inks were used to colour this copper sheet. 2 pieces of copper sheet, both textured and coloured with alcohol inks. Transfer printed copper sheet that has been embossed. Alcohol inks . . .  . . and more. Copper mesh heat treated and wrapped around a piece of lead. Strips of transfer printed copper woven and ...

  Don't you love copper?  Well here we are, Christmas is gone and the New Year is looming - have you finished doing the washing up yet? I finished all the glasses this morning so now my kitchen is clear - Hurrah! I am slowly catching up with what I got up to in November.  The 7th weekend of my Experimental Textiles course is a students choice. The group can negotiate which techniques they want to play with or they can use it as chance to catch up with their folders. Jamie Malden from Colouricious kindly made this video for me at the Harrogate show to give you all some idea of what we cover on the course.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97vwcwmHjv8  (you can skip the advert at the beginning) Experimental Textiles teaches you all the basic techniques and skills that you need when working in textiles. None of my 'Hot Textiles' techniques are included in the course - They are fun but can be learned from books and videos...

 A lovely little bowl that is a work in progress . . . .  I had forgotten how much I enjoy incorporating metal into textiles - so much so I will be teaching a new four day Metal Works? workshop at The Old Needle Works next Easter. Of course it helps to have students that have enquiring minds and enjoy experimenting. We worked with metal shims, knitted copper and metal mesh, mostly copper and brass. We tried embossing and punching out shapes as well as heat distressing to change the colour. We used a heat gun for this. My heat guns are 350 watt and are hot enough to colour copper. Anyone who has been on any of my workshops will know that I don't advocate using a naked flame.  I have had a selection of alcohol inks in a box for a about three years waiting for 'when I have a minute'!!! This was a great chance to use them to colour the metals. I also demonstrated transferring transfer painted papers on to the metal but that really needs to be saved til our next session...