I am currently offering a variety of workshops in both Textiles and Feltmaking to creative groups within Lincolnshire and further afield. Whether you are an absolute beginner, or you are wanting to build on previous experience, I can put together a workshop to suit you or your group. I normally limit classes to 15 students but am happy to discuss larger numbers if required.

One to one and small group tuition (max 4) is also available in my studio in Horncastle. If you require more information or prices please get in touch using the contact form.

The following are examples of just some of workshops I do, however if there is a particular technique or project you have in mind, but don’t see it here, please get in touch and I will be happy to discuss your requirements.

TESTIMONIALS…..Please see my About Page for testimonials.

3D Farbic Dragonfly / Butterfly – I made my first dragonfly as an oversized brooch with techniques I learnt from a wonderful textile artist called Anastasia Goleneva. Since then I have devised my own designs and methods of working to produce a variety of different fabric insects. In this workshop you can choose to make either a dragonfly or a butterfly. This can be worn as a large brooch or it can be used as a decorative item i.e. wall mounted using a contact strip or mounted in a box frame or simply free standing as an ornament. Templates will be provided but you are more than welcome to design your own and decorate your insect in your own choice of colour and style i.e. adding hand embroidery, fussy cut lace, beading, etc.

Lumpy Bowls – this is one of my personal favourites. I love texture and undulating surfaces and my hand made lumpy bowls can be found all around my house! In this workshop you will create a 3D bowl with an exciting lumpy, bumpy, organic surface. We will create our 3D vessel using a 2d resist and you will learn about the use of prefelts and inclusions in surface design. This workshop is suitable for all abilities, including absolute beginners. If you are already familiar with 3D felting, but new to surface decoration, this class will help elevate your work to the next level.

Wet Felted Fairy Slippers – these gorgeous little slippers are irresistible! They make a beautiful hanging decoration for your Christmas tree or mount them in a box frame as the perfect gift for the young or young at heart! To make them you will be working with Superfine Merino fibres and felting around a resist, it’s fiddly work and takes longer than you’d imagine but the results are so rewarding! Once they’ve dried you can call them done or add further detail with hand embroidery and tiny beads.

Wool felt is my favourite base for stitching on to, whether by machine or by hand, and when that base has additional texture and 3D elements it becomes all the more interesting to work with. In this workshop we will be looking at various methods, materials and inclusions that we can incorporate with our fibres to create a unique piece of work with raised 3D surface design. Once its dried you can call your piece finished or you might chose to embellish it further with hand or machine stitching. You have the choice of making a medium to large piece as a picture or wall hanging or you might prefer to create a number of smaller pieces which could become samples to inspire future projects. Alternatively they could be appliquéd to an item such as a bag or combined to create a larger piece of work.

Wet Felted Birds – in this workshop we will be working around a flat resist to create a 3D wet felted bird. This class can be booked as a one day workshop in which case you will use one of my templates and be prepared for a fairly intensive day in order to complete your bird. As this project involves wet felting, needle felting and wire work it is a challenge to complete it in a day but, if you don’t quite get done, I will ensure you go home with all the information you need in order to finish your bird.

Alternatively it can be booked as a two day session in which case you have the choice of using one of my templates or I can help you design your own. The extra time also allows for a more relaxed class and guarantees you complete the project under supervision.

INSPIRED by NATURE – 3D TEXTILES – Tyvek fabric is an incredibly versatile medium which can be painted, stitched and manipulated using a heat tool. If we then combine these processes with a wire armature, and inspiration taken from nature, we can produce beautiful 3D forms ranging from a simple leaf or flower to a more complex shape such as the seed pod. Students are encouraged to come up with their own design prior to forming the armature but for those less confident there will be templates to follow. You might chose to add further detail in the form of hand embellishing with threads and/or beads but however you approach this project, due to the unpredictability of heat manipulation, you will be creating a piece of textile art which is totally unique. Suitable for all abilities.

LAYER, STITCH & BURN – This is a fun, experimental workshop in which we will be getting creative with a variety of synthetic fabrics. Students can use their own design or simply follow one of the examples shown. Techniques to be used will include cutting, layering, bonding, foiling and free motion stitching. Finally we will burn away our background using a soldering iron & heat tool to leave a beautiful lace like effect. No previous experience necessary.

LUTRADUR LEAVES – In this workshop we will be creating a variety of lifelike leaves, some perfectly formed, others may appear to be partly eaten away by insects or simply decayed by age. We will work with Lutradur fabric, free motion stitch and acrylic paint. Once you have your collection of leaves it’s up to you what you do with them. They look great individually mounted onto greetings cards or attached to a fabric background as a brooch. They can be incorporated in your art quilts, simply mounted in a box frame or they could form the basis of a “Forest Floor” inspired piece.

FOREST FLOOR – This is a fast paced, experimental workshop using soldering irons and heat tools with heat manipulative fabrics incuding Tyvek and Lutradur. Our theme is the Forest Floor and students are encouraged to do a little foraging and bring along leaves, bark, etc to use as inspiration. Our fabrics will be painted, stitched, distressed and shaped to totally transform them into twigs, bark, leaves and a tiny seed pod. Suitable for all abilities, this can be booked as a two day class in which students will produce lots of samples on day one and a completed piece of work, in their chosen size, on day two. Alternatively I also run this as a one day class in which students simply focus on learning the techniques and their samples can be used to create a finished piece at a later date.

WET FELTED ROLL EDGE COLLAR– In this one day workshop we will combine lightweight, soft, Superfine Merino fibres with silky botanical fibres to create a beautiful, collar with a brooch fastener. These sculptural collars are incredibly lightweight, warm, attractive and totally unique. This class is suitable for all abilities including beginners.

Wet Felted Nuno Scarf – In this one day workshop you will learn how to combine Superfine Merino fibres with light weight silk fabrics to create your own beautiful, and totally unique, wet felted Nuno Scarf. This workshop is suitable for any ability including absolute beginners.

BEGINNERS 3D WET FELTING AROUND A RESIST – This workshop is a great introduction to 3D Wet Felting around a resist. We will work with beautiful soft Merino fibres and you can chose what you would like to make. That might be a purse/glasses case, phone case, pendant/brooch, vase sleeve or a bowl. This workshop is suitable for all abilities and, once learnt, these skills can be applied to larger wet felted projects such as bag making, creating 3D vessels and so much more!

POPPIES WALL HANGING – In this two day workshop you will create a fabulous Wet Felted Wallhanging using Bergschaf and Merino fibres based on a floral theme. Bring some inspiration in the form of photos or sketches to work up your own design, not necessarily poppies, or simply follow one of the examples shown. During the two days we will use a variety of techniques including wet felting, needle felting, couching and free motion embroidery. Suitable for all abilities.

ART QUILT – Create a beautiful nature inspired art quilt using a variety of fabrics and techniques including painting, appliqué, hand stitch and free motion stitching. This can be booked as a one day workshop, resulting in a mini quilt, or as a two day course, working on a larger scale. Students are encouraged to bring along photos or sketches as inspiration for working up their own design. If you would prefer to concentrate on technique and simply follow one of the examples shown on the day you are welcome to do so. Suitable for all abilities.

WET FELTED BAG – in this two day workshop we use a series of resists and wool fibres to create a unique handbag. This could be a clutch bag with integral handle or a shoulder bag with a felted rope handle. Whichever style you chose you will also learn how to add different types of surface design to make your bag totally unique. This workshop is suitable for all abilities but please be aware that the felting process for making this type of item is very physical and a certain degree of stamina is required. If you are interested but have any doubts about timings or coping i.e. arthritis in hands/arms or trouble standing for any length of time please contact me to discuss.

NEEDLE FELTED MUSHROOMS- These Needle Felted mushrooms are fun to make and the workshop is suitable for all abilities. They can be simply decorative or, for the more practical among us, they make a novel pincushion! If you can bear to part with it they are ideal as a gift for a friend who sews.