A selection of beautiful beaded bowls by Sue Redhead, Jane Wolfe & Gina Dean I find it amusing that a workshop I created based on bowls and bangles I have been making all my life - has become very popular in the The Experimental Textiles Video Library & Membership. I have never taught this workshop as it is something I have always just - done. Making strange and unusual pieces with random beads has always given me great pleasure - I hadn't realised that it might intrigue others too.  I decided to film the workshop and see if any of the membership wanted to play with the techniques. My goodness they have been having fun. It just goes to show - you never know!   One of Gina's larger vessels Students on the video library go through waves of working, there will be a flurry of work and samples on one workshop, then others will start on another. As the member is for 12 months, you can create your work when it suits you. What I love is how they all chat to each other, showing

 This is a new range of work for me - I am very excited.  It will be shown in the gallery that I am sharing with Susan Chapman. People and Places - stand number M11.  Well we are nearly there - The Fashion, Embroidery and Stitch Show is looming ever closer. www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/birmingham We will be setting up the show on Wednesday and will be open to the public Thursday 17th - Sunday 20th March.  One of the features of the show is the Vilene - now Vlieseline Workshop. This is something I organise. We have some fantastic tutors this year. www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/birmingham/workshops     Please book spaces on my stand L22. There are 10 places per workshop, per day. 1 workshop per person each day and it is first come, first served - so run from the door to the right hand corner of the show and join the queue. 10.30 BUILD UP BONDAWEB With Tina Francis Painted Bondaweb has been used in Textile Art for some time; in this session you will make it the

One of the fab samples from one of my workshops at Excel. The Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycrafts Show at Excel was splendid. It was very busy. I haven't seen a show that consistently busy every day for a long time. It was interesting to see and meet so many new visitors. Roughly half of the visitors were aware of the more experimental side of textiles and the other half were well informed. It was a fascinating mix - I have never known this before and I have done a lot of shows.  Apart from having my own stand, I also ran The Vilene Workshop as I did the previous weekend at the NEC. At this show the tutors were, myself, Fran Holmes, Tina Francis, Jayne Routley and Wendy Dolan.  I was given extra space for a small part of the end of the year show of Experimental Textiles that was at the NEC the previous weekend. It was very well received and I had several enquiries about enrolments. Some of my students work on my stand. Getting my stand ready, this is Jayne

A splendid sparkly sample. So - that's The NEC done and dusted, at least until August anyway. The Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch Show was great fun and was very busy. I have various roles at the show, it is my busiest show of the year. One of my roles is to run the Vilene Workshop. 5 x 45 minute workshops a day with 5 different tutors. This year it was Lynda Monk, me, Fran Holmes, Tina Francis and Jayne Routley. One of my workshops getting under way. The workshops are free and are always popular. I will be running similar workshops at Excel from Friday - www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/london/workshops. I will also be giving a lecture every day. These are some of the samples the ladies produced in 45 minutes. Lots of sparkle and twinkle on painted Bondaweb. My workshop is 'Sparkle and Twinkle' , using all manner of sparkle and transfer foils on painted Bondaweb. This process makes fabulous surfaces for stitch. The other tutors had sta