I love how torn paper springs into a spiral. Experimental Textiles is a course I have taught in various forms over the past 15 years. It started as a 4 year course up to diploma level. I have now taken out the design core and deliver it over 9 weekends at the IDC studios in The Old Needle Works in Redditch. This works well as it is in the middle of the country giving students from all over the UK a chance to get there. We have girls traveling from the Scotland and Cornwall and all places in between. Redditch is well served with budget hotels close Btritten Street where the centre is. It is a big commitment to teach an ongoing course and I have decided to teach one more course after this one finishes. The last Experimental Textiles course taught over 9 weekends from June to March will start in June 2016 and finish in March 2017. I have other plans for the course which I will share with you later in the year. To see more about the course and next years dates - go to experimen

   Alison brought in a very delicious rhubarb and ginger cake.  We didn't have a knife to cut the cake, so we used my 24"steel ruler - well, you do have to be adaptable!!  ExTeXtra is a group of 8 students from past Experimental Textiles courses, affectionately known as ExTex. We are now running ExTex4 and I am currently sorting the dates for ExTex5 which will start June 2016. The name ExTeXtra will probably change as the group work together and start to book their own exhibitions. This newly formed group will have have 4 more weekends together at The Old Needle Works in the IDC studios between now and March 2016. The group are learning to negotiate between themselves and me to decide what we will be doing, discussing and working on during this time. I am now mentoring this group and guiding them as well as teaching any techniques, skills they think they need.  Playing with white cartridge paper and staples, having a look at 3D. It had been decided thr

Mary Smith's interpretation of her journey in colour and in fabric. So - here we are the NEC for Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch. It is my biggest show of the year. It is a very exciting show, so much to see and do. This is a quick post just to talk about my Experimental Textiles students end of year show. There are 2 stands at the show. Having sorted most of the work on the students last session in the IDC studios at The Old Needleworks, I knew roughly what I wanted to hang on each stand. Arriving and seeing an empty stand can be daunting, you just have to keep going till you finish.  Starting to set up the stand.  Starting to realise just how much work we have to choose from.  . . . And then, as if by magic (several hours later) - you have a finished stand.    A selection of the work created on the course including some crazy 3D pieces and all the workbooks.  The workbooks are always the most popular part of the stand.   Some of the