Workshop programme 2022

22nd January 2022
Social Stitch day/shared lunch/bring and buy sale/Chairman’s Challenge

26 February 2022
"Landscape" workshop with Gary Mills, hand or machine embroidery

26 March 2022
"Birds and flowers collage" workshop with Rachel Sumner

23 April 2022
"Seed heads and grasses" workshop with Alison Whateley

21 May 2022
Mini workshops led by members including Fabric Flowers, Dorset Buttons, Crochet (beginner and more experienced) and Hardanger embroidery.

25 June 2022
Design Day with Jo Hyam
From Inspiration to Original Work – an Introduction to Design for Stitch
Have you ever been to an exhibition or visited a museum, read a book or magazine and seen something which has inspired you in some way? Maybe a piece of textile or costume, a painting, piece of jewellery, ceramic or an architectural detail? What do you do – buy a postcard? Take a photograph? Then what do you do with your photo/postcard when you get home - put it away and forget about it? Some time later you see it and think that you’d like to make a piece of textile work, but you can’t quite remember what it was that drew your attention, and you don’t know what to do other than making a straight copy.
If you recognize yourself in the above, then this workshop is for you. Let go of your expectations and preconceived ideas about what you might make, have some fun and see where using some simple design techniques can take you! With only a few hours to work with, we can only just scratch the surface of design, so this workshop is really aimed at people with very little or no experience, or those who want a refresher. It won’t be at all scary and don’t worry if you think you can’t draw – as long as you can hold a pencil and make some marks on the page, you’ll be fine.
Working from photographs and magazine cuttings, we will first think about how you could make a better record of the item and your initial thoughts; then we’ll try some simple exercises to help you move away from straight forward copying, towards developing more interesting and original ideas.
By the end of the day, you should have the beginnings of a design which you could further develop into an original stitched piece, a piece which will be uniquely yours. You will also be familiar with some simple design techniques to use next time you’re faced with the question ‘what shall I do next?’.
NB This is predominantly a day for developing ideas, and you may not do any stitching at all, other than (if there is time) small samples, so please don’t come expecting to have a stitched piece to take home with you. Aimed at all levels of stitchers, but those with little or no design experience.

Requirements list
We will all be working from the same image, which I will provide.
Please bring with you:
Drawing Stuff
  • You will need several sheets of paper to work on, so please bring your sketchbook (if you use one) or an A4 sketchpad – preferably of a medium weight eg 150gsm or 90lb, or heavier mixed media paper, if you have it. You could use copier paper (usually about 80-90gsm only), but this will buckle or tear if you work into it too much; 
    • If you are going to buy something, you could consider buying a pad of drawing paper, or, indeed a hardback sketchbook - spiral bound is best if you are going to want to build up layers of work, or tear sheets out.  Some good brands to look for, which aren’t too pricey, are Daler-Rowney,  Seawhite and Pink Pig.  You can find these in most art supplies shops or websites including Jacksons, Cassart, Hobbycraft, and Amazon, amongst others – worth comparing prices and looking for special offers. .  If you want recycled paper, then you could look at Artway, (online only) who do something called ‘flat white’ made from recycled coffee cups.  There are obviously loads of other brands to consider.
  • Tracing paper;
  • Drawing pencils eg HB or 2B (4B if you have it), pencil sharpener, eraser; drawing pens, if you use them (you don’t need to buy one specially);
  • Some sort of dry colouring media eg coloured pencils, crayons, felt pens;
  • Pritt stick glue or similar;
  • Paper scissors;
  • Ruler;
  • A stitch ‘bible’, which shows what different stitches look like, and how you make them eg Mary Thomas’s ‘Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches’ (there are others).  I think the group library may have one or two similar books;
  • Optional: Some coloured papers, if you have them, which you could use for collage eg plain coloured papers which you may have made yourself), coloured envelopes, wrapping paper, magazine pages etc;
  • Bring a couple of prints of your own photos, or other images, of things that have inspired you, to discuss later in the day.
Hand Stitching Stuff:
We may or may not get onto making some stitch samples, but in case we do, please bring the following: 
**Bear in mind that design is often easier when your options are limited, so
PLEASE DON’T BRING EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK – YOU WON’T NEED IT! **
  • A small piece of calico or sheeting on which to work your samples (big enough to fit a hoop, if that is what you normally use);
  • Some small pieces of fabric –– you could bring plain or different textured fabrics, but please limit your selection to 3 colours only, plus black and white.  Try to include a dark, a medium and a pale colour (eg navy blue, mid red, pale yellow or cream);
  • A few hand embroidery threads, again, different weights if you have them, but in colours to match your fabrics;
  • Your usual stitch kit – scissors, pins, needles etc.

23 July 2022
AGM followed by Shibori workshop with Gill Beadon

No meeting in August

24 September 2022
Workshop with local textile artist Lesley Irving (more details nearer the time)

22 October 2022
Social stitch day - members are welcome to bring sewing machines for some informal tuiton on machine embroidery

26 November 2022
Members workshop with Ann Holden (more details nearer the time)

Workshop Fees
Workshop led by external tutor £25
Workshop led by Avalon member £15
Some workshops incur extra charges for materials/kits
2 day workshop fees to be determined to cover costs
Non members taking part in workshops will be expected to pay an additional £5
Please note that if you are participating in a workshop you are expected to arrive promptly to start at 10 am and to stay until the end at 4 pm.

Attendance Fees
Members attending on a Saturday but not taking part in the workshop £6
Unlimited tea and coffee will be available for members