Workshops

The following range of workshops are suitable for various age groups, contact me if there is something here that interests you. For all workshops I can supply a materials list, I supply some materials depending on the client group.

Education – I have worked in and out of education with all ages for 15 years and have a very diverse skill base, please email me if you have a specific topic in mind. Within schools I like to fit my work into the curriculum wherever possible, and certainly not just within textiles and art & design.

 

I hope you see some ideas that interest you, thanks for visiting

 

Surface Creation – Melt, steam, twist, tie, burn, paint and cast
This workday is purely experimental and participants will produce a range of samples rather than a finished product. The emphasis is first to raise and define surfaces, giving depth and shape to fabric by a variety of means. Secondly to work with the newly created surface and embellish it to create an atmosphere or environment. Come for a day of play to create wonderfully tactile surfaces, exotic fabrics and unique pieces of textiles. Together we will investigate a variety of methods to create new and exciting surfaces, through fabric manipulation, oil bars and pastels, hot glue, packaging and much more !

In the morning we will work on various methods of fabric manipulation and enhancement to create starting points for our experiments plus small pieces for surface adornment. In the afternoon we will work with these pieces and add a wide range of creative materials to further transform the original pieces of fabric.
 

 

Fabric jewellery
Spend a day making beautiful richly textured fabric bracelets, necklaces and cuffs. Using simple techniques of bonding, distressing and layering with lace, ribbon, Vilene, beads, scraps of fabric, buttons and much more you will create highly individual accessories to your own ideas and colour schemes.

The day will start with a few basic techniques, after which everyone will work on their own individual pieces at their own pace. Only very basic sewing experience needed and lots of help given. Most materials provided, small charge may be made for beads. From this day you should take home at least one finished choker or bracelet plus other samples. Great for special presents or a treat for yourself.

 

Altered Books
This is a very popular workday based on my own ‘Woodland Book’ and ‘Egg Book’. The intention on this workday is to produce a highly textured and atmospheric page, or series of pages, for an altered book. Using such materials as acrylic paints, fabric dyes, wool, string, Japanese paper fibres, oil bars, oil pastels, tissue paper, silk paper, found objects and PVA glue you will work to create an individual page by first creating an interesting surface and then overlay paint, oil bars and pastels until the surface had acquired the depth, intensity and interest needed.

Experimentation with colour, texture and use of materials is key to all my workshops. My work is very free and whilst I have a good knowledge of Health & Safety I do encourage people to investigate the wonderful materials we have at our disposal nowadays.

The altered book workshop can be delivered as a I day workshop – using Single card mount or frame. Enhance one side of a card mount or page in this way to provide the ‘frame’ for a piece of work. The workshop will comprise experimentation with a wide range of materials, and some students may complete the work on the day.
2 day workshop – 3 page book
Day 1 – investigate textures, begin to create the pages.
Day 2 – Compile into a unique ‘book’. This would involve some very simple bookbinding techniques.
The longer time-span allows for ‘play-time’ with new materials, to produce a more thought through and individual piece of work

Print and Stitch

This day long workshop is ideal for those who are not confident about their drawing skills or want a new approach to design. Using mono-print techniques we will create realistic prints of insects and wildlife that we will then embellish with ink, paint, embossing, hand or machine stitching and much more.

With a starting point of photocopied imagery plus fabric and paint you will achieve a very realistic outline image of a dragonfly, butterfly, beetle or some other insect. The simple mono-printing technique means that everyone can achieve an interesting starting point for further decoration as can be seen on the left here, showing the outline of a dragonfly wing. Work then continues to embellish or deconstruct the image with decorative finishes,  and hand or machine stitching.

 

Art dolls

This is a fairly new development for me and I think there is real potential for this topic in schools not only around textiles, but in PSHE and Citizenship as this topic can focus on icons/heroes/ self confidence. The sewing techniques are simple but the decoration is the real fun.

 

Nest and pods

This topic is highly unusual in its outcome. This is because it is very much a collaboration between myself and the classes I work with. I love to create environments and secret places and this is the essence of this topic. The intention is to create a nest or secret place of some sort. The completed nest on this page is about 1 metre high and about 60cm across. But the final outcome can be fine-tuned to the schools/classes needs.

The piece is created by the whole class and assembled by me, a truly collaborative piece. The children all work on individual pieces, these were stitched/glued/knotted together, then further decorated and made into the large artwork you see in the picture. Once completed it is a wonderful starting point for creative language and story-telling. This topic includes

o Use of colour
o Tactile experience
o Group and individual creative work
o Decision making and discussion
o Tactile experimentation
o Basic stitching
o Fabric and thread manipulation
o Creative and descriptive language

This topic does need a considerable time allocation to allow experimentation in both the tactile element and the surface decoration, at least a full days workshop needed, but preferably two or three days to give enough time for the children to produce a meaningful result.

 

Creating mini-environments

This topic is very much about the core of the work that I produce. I love to create environments and closed little space that invite you to look in. The intention is to create a 3D box or tin, rich with detail and colour, highly tactile and begging for closer inspection of the unusual surfaces that can be created. But the final outcome can be fine-tuned to the specific needs.

I love to re-use materials and may start with a tin or existing box, then add to that, as well as that ‘found objects ‘ are used throughout my work and I love to show that creative work doesn’t have to use expensive materials. This topic includes

o Use of colour
o Tactile experience
o Group and individual creative work
o Decision making and discussion
o Tactile experimentation
o Fabric and thread manipulation
o Creative and descriptive language

This topic does need a considerable time allocation to allow experimentation in both the tactile element and the surface decoration, at least a full days workshop needed, but preferably two or three days to give enough time for the children to produce a meaningful result.

 

Creating total environments

Early last year I worked with a year 6 group in a Lincoln School to create a ‘Rain Forest’ in their classroom. We created trees, leaves, insects, lianas, toucans ( spot him in the image above), we wove , drew, painted, stitched, coloured and much more to create a wonderful intense environment that was used by several classes as a learning resource as it stayed in the classroom for 6 months. It was also fitted with rainforest sounds by the class who went on adding to this learning resource long after I had finished my work with them.

Basic sewing workshops

 To share my enthusiasm for fabric and thread I like to get children sewing. Learning some basic stitches with large needles, meshes and lovely colours can make stitch accessible and interesting to all. As well as learning stitching on an individual basis there can also be a group outcome. One nice addition to this type of workshop is a simple braiding technique that can engage a whole class. Sewing classes such as these can not only work in art and design, but can be delivered as part of a numeracy lesson, as well as helping with fine motor skills and hand to eye co-ordination.

Reduce/re-use/recycle workshops

My own love of remaking and reinventing clothes has led me to develop fashion based workshops that take existing clothes ( or charity shop buys) and reworking them. Suitable for KS2 upwards.

 

Multicultural topics

 Adinkra printing -Africa - suitable for all ages, simple printing that can be embellished with stitch or drawing. Links with textile, art and design, geography and RE, as well as SEAL

 

 

Ndebele dolls – Africa. This is a lovely topic allowing for self expression, use of colour and texture to create individual work that can be developed into group pieces. Links to geography, art and design, textiles.

 

Unusual Shoes

Working from simple paper patterns we will design highly patterned and richly decorated simple asian slippers.

Copyright © 2013 Nicky Dillerstone . Design by Thomas Plaskitt