WORKSHOPS

INSPIRATIONS FROM SCANDINAVIA

SWEDISH FOLKLORE BAG

Make a sturdy carry bag or an evening bag based on traditional costume bags. Using our chosen shape we decorate it with Dala Horses and Kurbits (a style of floral painting similar to Norwegian Rosepainting). Applique, by machine or hand and basic sewing skills. Fairly easy but introduces you to some different design ideas.

SWEDISH HANGING OR TABLE RUNNER

We look to examples of Swedish Kurbits (see above) for our inspiration and design and make a skinny hanging or unusual table runner. Applique and embroidery.

FELTING WORKSHOPS

NORDIC WRAPS

In this workshop you learn to use and decorate pre-felts to create a stunning scarf/wrap to keep you warm even in Scandinavian winter chills but glamourous enough to use as an evening stole!

FELT FLOWERS

Explore different techniques to produce beautiful exotic flowers for brooches, corsages, fascinators etc. Lots of fun! Go home with a colourful posy of flamboyant blooms.

Inspirations from Africa

African Cushion Cover

Most people struggle with the big bright prints typical of African wax prints. Rosalind gives you the courage to cut them up and create a colourful, zingy cushion cover or small wall hanging. Machine piecing. Bring your own African fabrics or buy what you need from Rosalind.

African Inspiration

This is a favourite workshop where we use Africa scenes as our starting point to produce a wall hanging or bag. Easy fusible techniques with hand or machine embroidery.

In Praise of African Textiles

A series of one day workshops exploring the design ideas from the textile heritage of this remarkable continent. We will examine real examples and make our own interpretations of them in patchwork, applique and embroidery or even felt. Your choice of course. Patterns and sketches available to help you get going!  Try out ideas and go home with one or two small pieces. 

  • Mudcloth/Bogolanfini
  • Kente cloth
  • Wax prints
  • Kuba cloth/ Kasai velvet

Other Workshops

A Bag from a Printed Panel

Bring or buy a printed panel and transform it into an attractive bag. You need basic machine sewing skills but will be taught any additional techniques you need. Finish your bag with an attractive button. This is a stand alone workshop but can be combined with the printing workshop over 2 days.

Printing Workshop

Have a fun day working with block prints and stencils to produce your own fabrics or panels (that can be used to make a bag for example). There will be an opportunity to design and make your own stencils if you want to. Block prints, stencils and fabric inks available to use but if you have your own bring them along too.
Can be combined with the bag making workshop above.

Talks

Rosalind offers talks on African textiles and art, and about the traditional textile arts and costumes of Scandinavia, having studied traditional weaving and embroidery at the Crafts College in Insjon, Sweden.

A clear and interesting public speaker, Rosalind truly brings her subject to life. With the ability to bring a digital presentation and examples of the relevant textile work, artistry or costumes for audiences to try on and engage with. 

Recent talks include:

  • Quilting, embroidery and textile arts to groups and societies such as Women’s Institutes.
  • Day schools on African topics for primary schools across England.
  • Weekly further education class in quilting.  
  • Leading textile tours to Sweden and Tanzania in 2009 and 2010.