Workshops for textile, patchwork and quilting groups

I travel to textile groups around the UK, offering a variety of specialist workshops inspired by my love of African textiles and design. Outside the UK I've taught in France and Kenya.

My workshops are partly about exploring the textile traditions of Africa and partly about experimenting and developing new skills in stitch and design.

These are not "quilt in a day" workshops, but you will take away new ideas and design influences, as well as some samples pieces that could be the missing link in an existing project or the start of something new.

The only workshops I run at home are my annual summer Hooked On Indigo days, see below.

Broken Windows NEW in 2012

Your creative options are almost unlimited with this new twist on the traditional nine patch block.

We'll duplicate the same image in different colourways, cut 'em all up, then puzzle them back together again in a whole new configuration.

• Try simple - but effective - positive/negative combinations
• Or go even further with more complex patterns and designs

Extreme Appliqué NEW in 2012

Modern appliqué has come a long way since the days of Baltimore quilts and Sunbonnet Sue. Why not expand your repertoire and boost your creativity?

In this machine qppliqué workshop, we'll look at some more extreme techniques.

• Satin stitch - and beyond!
• Reverse appliqué - using layers
• Appli-quilt - quilt while you appliqué for fast results
• Trapunto - not quite appliqué, but 'raised machine quilting'
• Trappliqué - appliqué and Trapunto combined

Medallions Made Easy NEW in 2012

Medallion quilts have been around as long as quilt makers, or so it seems.

In this workshop we'll speed it all up a bit, bringing this traditional design bang up to date with some new thinking and 'tricks of the trade'.

Starting with the concept of a central panel surrounded by pieced borders, we'll use a variety of relatively easy but quick piecing techniques.

Make your borders as simple or as complex as you dare for a speedy and striking quilt top.

Kente: The Patchwork Way

Genuine, hand-woven Kente cloth from Ghana is the 'cloth of kings'. It is stunningly beautiful, expensive and increasingly rare.

So why not make your own?

We'll use Kente cloths from my collection as inspiration to create both geometric Ashanti and representational Ewe patterns.

Then, we’ll use mainly foundation piecing to create a small patchwork version of Kente weaving.

African Jazz

How To Use African Fabrics

Africa is full of bright, vibrant fabrics: from the wax prints that women wear every day to work and market to ceremonial garments that are big, beautiful and expensive.

Many of these African fabrics are distinguished by designs that are - to the western eye - quite large. For the non-African textile enthusiast, working with these large designs can be a challenge.

In this workshop, we'll meet the challenge, using these large-print African fabrics to create a bright, vibrant and jazzy quilt.

Stitching With A Wiggle

Curved Piecing Made Easy

Are you wedded to straight lines and intimidated by curved piecing?

Set yourself free with this easy approach to tackling the curve.

You'll learn how to cut and sew curved seams using a simple, but foolproof method.

Get started on a quilt top.

Or, just practice your new-found talent by making up blocks and trying out different curves.

Adinkra Stamping

Stamping pattern onto cloth is one of Africa’s oldest textile traditions. In Ghana, this cloth is called Adinkra and it is has an important ceremonial function, especially at funerals.

Every stamped symbol has a meaning and significance and there are whole 'pictionaries' of interpretations.

In this workshop we'll create our own stamps from everyday materials before stamping our fabrics. We can use traditional Adinkra symbols or invent our own.

Adinkra Stamping

This 1/2 day version of my Adinkra stamping workshop is very popular with all sorts of textile groups, from quilters and embroiderers to dyers.

We won't go into as much detail concerning the designs and traditions.

We will get stuck into stamping and creating our own designs.

Plus: Ashanti Inspirations

Many groups like to combine this workshop with my 'Ashanti Inspirations' talk.

Creative With Strip Cloth

For centuries, all over West Africa, people have spun cotton and woven it into long, narrow strips, before sewing the strips together to create whole wearing cloths, blankets and traditional garments.

We'll start with plain undyed, as well as indigo patterned strip cloth, then experiment with a variety of patterning, appliqué, stitching and embellishing techniques to make a small wall-hanging, bag or book cover.

Kuba Appliqué

Kuba is a traditional raffia woven and geometrically patterned cloth from the Congo. It is worn and used in dance and ceremony.

In this workshop, we'll study genuine Kuba cloth, then move on to create our own version.

Techniques will include raw edge appliqué, embroidery and embellishment, either by hand or machine.

Your finished panel can be made into a wall-hanging, cushion or bag.

Hooked On Indigo

Discover the magic of indigo!

We’ll look at a variety of techniques for creating beautiful indigo fabrics.

Then, working with your own indigo vat, you can dye fabrics, yarns, or anything else you bring along.

Summer only in my garden in West Yorkshire.

Dates for 2012 will be published here soon.

Maximum 6 places per session. If you have your own group, please contact me to discuss possible dates.