Painted Bondaweb decorated with snips of polyester organza and hand stitch. Hot Textiles workshop. I am now back in the swing of things, I hadn't quite appreciated that the knee op would also affect my brain!!! It has taken a long time to get back to 'normal'. I have been planning several trips, both here and New Zealand, and am looking at what is coming up. There are a couple of spaces left on my workshop for the North Kent Guild in Meopham, Kent this weekend. (June 27th) The workshop is Hot Textiles. If you are interested do email suzannecooper55@gmail.com  *   There are also a couple of spaces left on my workshop 'Colourworks' at The Bridge, Brighton the following weekend July 4th & 5th. We will take a look at colour theory (we all need it!) and then go on to tear, cut, curl, pleat and manipulate paper to create beautiful, colourful vessels, book covers or a wall piece. phone 01273 687053  http://bit.ly/1RvYY6P   *  Lo

Fabric printed using torn painted transfer papers and torn resists. I had a great three days in rural Essex this week. Transfer printing is rarely the top of anyones list for a workshop, which is a great shame. It is such a simple and exciting form of printing. 'Transforming Transfer' is one of my favourite workshops to teach - we always get fabulous results. Disperse dye is the dye used to permanently colour synthetic fabrics. Because the dye is first applied to paper then transferred by heat to the fabric, they have become known as transfer paints. The dyes I use are in powder form and I make them up and store them in glass jars - always wear a particle mask when working with dye powders. Once the dyes are no longer in powder form you won't need to wear a mask. When working with any dye it is best to wear gloves and an apron. The group painting their papers. Fantasia Textiles Studio is run by Norah Stocker, a great bundle of energy. The studio is a C

  The beginning of the day. Early Saturday morning saw me driving to Newbury for a one day workshop that had been postponed due to family illness. As you may know, I have stopped taking bookings for one day workshops. I am just too old now for all the loading and unloading involved. The workshop was Scrumptious Spunbond (Lutradur). The car was loaded with all kind of goodies - Yes! I know, I don't do myself any favours.  There was plenty of help on hand to unload the car, with my poor old knee I need all the help I can get at the moment.  It always amazes that from an empty room we can create a space in which to play. It was a great hall, with plenty of sockets, always important with my workshops. Painting up the Bondaweb and the Spunbond. We got straight down to painting the Bondaweb and Spunbond as we needed it dry for after lunch.  The mornings activity was to try cutting out shapes from the sadly discontinued CS500 in colours with a soldering iron. Bondaweb wa