A section of the the Journeys from the Thursday/Friday group.  Well we have begun - and there are TWO courses running this year. One on Thursday and Friday and one on Saturday and Sunday. Experimental Textiles was originally taught as a four year course that I had to stop teaching after twelve years as it got - just tooo much!!! So I wrote the book of the course. After having sworn I would NEVER teach a long course again, I found I missed supporting students through a long course with an exhibition at the end. So . . as a happy medium - I now teach a nine weekend version of the course from June to March. This shorter version teaches VERY basic techniques and skills that we all need - but rarely spend the time on - unless we are 'encouraged' to!    Kate, Caroline and Marilyn  . . . . .     . .  and Suzie and Jane from the Thursday/Friday group.     Alison, Mary and Val . . .    . . and Melissa, Tricia and Rachael from the Saturday/

Val's flipped and mirrored design painted in one colour. The second weekend of Experimental Textiles saw the group working in colour. The plan was to make printing blocks from foam core board and self adhesive foam using the designs created on the first weekend.  First of all we had a look at the home work - I had asked the group to take a design and flip and mirrored it to show several repeats to create even more designs. Kat's  . . Mary's  . . .   Barbara's . .     Rachel's . .   and more for Barbara . . .  . . . . and the course work/sketch books are beginning. These work books will be a wonderful resource for years to come. Once we had looked at and discussed the home work we got on with making the printing blocks. . . .       Then the group got on with the printing -  we tried out the blocks on A1 cartridge paper first to get used to how much paint to use on the block, how the repeats work

   Four of the 'Journeys' hanging longways. Apologies for the absence, life has been a little complicated of late . . .  Bank Holiday weekend saw me teaching the first session of Experimental Textiles 2 at The Old Needle Works in Redditch. We have five in the group after two had to withdraw for various reasons. Having such a small group means we can get more done - which is brilliant. The first session was very similar to what was in the previous post - creating original designs. Work done on this session will form the backbone of the first few months of the course.     We started with the 'Journey' exercise.  A section of the 'Journeys'.  We then went onto the 'Expanded' exercise. Looking at positive and negative space.        Then it was onto 'Flipping out' -   Then is was onto taking sections of all the exercises - thus creating original designs . . . . These sections were th