Winter workshops will take place at Sprout Community Arts in Streatham, as part of my two-week residency with Women of the Cloth from 27th November.  Workshop dates are contained in the following WOTC newsletter

Christmas Sale and Workshops Sprout Community Arts 74 Moyser Road, London SW16 6SQ 27 November to 10 December 2013 9.00am to 6.00pm daily Late openings until 9.00 pm PRIVATE VIEW Wednesday 27 November 6.30-9.00 pm We are all busy making gorgeous tactile textile items for our second pre-Christmas sale at Sprout.  Come & join us and our guests for a cuppa/glass of wine and boost your Christmas shopping with some unique, locally handmade gifts including Loren’s handknit scarves & sparkly snowflakes Carol and Joan will be running workshops as always, but this time we’ll be joined by guest needlefelting tutor Janet Thompson! Workshops most days £20 to £40 for half or full day  incl  materials – see below for dates WORKSHOPS Thursday 28th November  –  Felt Slippers 09.30-3.30 Friday 29th November – Indian Applique  6.00-9.00 pm Saturday 30th November  –  Shisha Mirrorwork Embroidery 2.00-4.30 Sunday 1st December  –  Loom Weaving Workshop 10.30-4.00 Monday 2nd December  –  Needlefelted Dogs with Janet 11.00 – 4.00 Wednesday 4th December –  Felt Christmas decorations 6.00-9.00pm Thursday 5th December  – Crochet Workshop 10.30-4.00 Saturday 7th December  –  Figure weaving with Joan am or pm Sunday 8th December – Feltmaking day with Carol 10.30-4.00 Mon 9th Dec – Felt/stitch/weave Xmas decorations 6.00-9.00pm Louise Jackson We’re delighted to be joined by guest Louise, whose textile work includes techniques such as batik and screen printing whilst hand and machine embroidery are a particular passion for her. She paints and draws in inks and gouache, adding touches of metallic. She has recently been exploring the early photographic technique of cyanotypes both on fabric and paper to great effect and loves all things connected to nature. She is currently working her way through Cassells Book of Birds as inspiration for the latest pieces. Joan & Carol Artist Georgia O’Keefe said “I found I could say things with colours and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I found I had no words for”.  Joan and Carol would wholeheartedly agree!  Making things with our hands is essential to our wellbeing and we aim to pass on that feelgood factor to all who join our workshops through working with colour and texture – feltmaking, weaving, stitching, crocheting. These techniques allow everyone to enjoy the creative process, even those who feel they have little practical or artistic ability. Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Janet Thompson Janet creates these lovely dogs using simply sheeps’ fleece and a needlefelting needle.  For Christmas she will also have angels to hang on  your tree and other quirky woollen creatures for sale.  We are very pleased to announce that Janet will be running a daytime needlefelting workshop at Sprout on Monday, 2nd December.  If you’d like to make your own needlefelted creature, book early to avoid disappointment! Kim Winter Kim has extended her range of scarves to include upcycled wool, linen, silk and cashmere. She says, “I love finding something that is no longer wanted and turning it into a unique, desirable object. It’s more interesting for me to work with a range of materials and colours, and it keeps my prices reasonable. These are perfect Christmas gifts that are stylish and sustainable!”  Kim’s scarves sell like hot cakes, so don’t delay … She will also have a few felted and knitted surprises.

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It’s been a busy few weeks for workshops, and great fun as always.  At the end of September I was in Brighton with some of the wonderful women I met in Jan 2011 at Anokhi in Jaipur, Rajasthan.  We have kept in touch, as textile enthusiasts tend to, and they all wanted to learn to make felt slippers.   It was a glorious day of colour and laughter, and delicious food too …

After choosing colours (not easy) we all layered up our fibres around slipper-shaped templates and began wetting them through and adding soap before beginning the agitating and rolling processes.  A delicious pot luck lunch half way through gave everyone the energy for a last burst of effort before removing the templates and beginning to rub the slippers into shape on their own feet, so that they fit perfectly.  When dry we will stitch on leather soles and hey presto – feet-hugging slippers in a range of beautiful colours!

Next slipper-making workshops:

Saturday 26th October in my studio,  and Thursday 5th December at Sprout Community Arts

Then, during the first weekend of October I opened my house to the visiting public for Lambeth Open weekend where I was joined by fellow Women of the Cloth Joan, Kim, Janet and Virginia for two energising days of showing our work, talking textiles, sitting making things and YES more workshops!  Wetfelting on Saturday morning, needlefelting Saturday afternoon and embroidery on Sunday.

Shisha mirrorwork embroidery is proving very popular, with some finding that once they start they can’t stop!!  The possiblities for doodling with thread around your mirrors is endless, so it’s very easy to just carry on, and on, and on …

If you enjoy stitching with colour my next two workshops at Serendipity Tea Rooms in Streatham will suit you perfectly.

On Monday evening, 14th October from 6.15 to 8.45 pm we’ll be making embellished pincushions using some of my handmade felt pieces and blingy trimmings brought back from India.  Simple stitching is used to make the pincushions, but if you want to get fancy why not add some of your own embroidery too?!

Then on Monday 28th October at the same time at Serendipity, we’ll be stitching some gorgeous colourful flowers using Indian Applique techniques.  Make yours into a needlecase, a small picture, or sew it onto a skirt, shirt or dress pocket.

Beautiful colours

Pincushions made with felt & Indian trimmings