It's almost here! I have been getting a lot of requests for me to teach online over the past 2 years. From all over the world. This combined with me wanting to stay at home in Ireland more and slow down a bit has decided me - it is going to happen. Starting in May. I am currently building a database and everyone who is on the database will be the first to hear what is happening and when. They will also receive the Sonas Studio newsletter (you can opt out). My house in Ireland is called Sonas - it means happiness and well being in Irish. I chose it because it sounded just  . . right. This year I will be concentrating on my one/two day workshops that will translate well to online workshops. For example -Tinkering with Tyvek, A New Starting Point and Transforming Transfers will be online from May to July. This all very new to me and I will be having IT help from my good friend Jayne. If you have been to the show at the NEC in March you will have seen her there. She he

 A scrummy sample before it is printed.  Here I am, back in New Zealand. I do so love this place. I am teaching on the North Island this time. I have just spent several wonderful days in the Northlands. North of Auckland. I have been staying with lovely Kerry Glen at One Tree Point who organised a 3 day workshop with her local ladies. They are mostly quilters, but they managed to cope with my strange ways and my goodness me did they get on with some fabulous work.  The workshop was A New Starting Point which is newspaper and Bondaweb/Vliesofix based.    The workshop was held at One Tree Point yacht club. A perfect room for a workshop. Plenty of room and tables and lots of power sockets. Just wonderful. The view wasn't too bad either . . !!!  The painted Bondaweb/Vliesofix drying on the deck.    Starting to build a 'pretty'. I call the process of building up the torn layers 'prettys and backgrounds'. Once you get the hang of it you get into

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 Bon daweb. The first thing we got on with was the 'prett y and background' technique featured in my book Reclaimed Textiles . B asically tearing, layering and then tearing again . . . working with both painted and unpainted B ondaweb. 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.