Folk Tales with Anne Kelly
Course Overview
Fabric collages and cloth books are wonderful ways to treasure special memories. Using universal primitive folk motifs, you will interpret your own design to create a unique wall-hanging piece of textile art with a ‘pocket’ cloth and paper book..
Inspired by the principal techniques covered in Anne’s new book ‘Textile Folk Art’ and using birds, plants and insects, your pieces will be richly embellished and decorated, using a mixture of current and vintage fabric. Participants will be asked to collect and enjoy using op shop finds suitable and well-loved textiles, ribbon and lace to work with.
We will explore a range of stitching, both by hand and machine, to structure and embellish our work. Lamination and fabric/paper collage will feature as a ‘side project’.
Materials and techniques covered:
- Designing and interpreting folk themes for making textile art including stenciling and block printing
- Exploring vintage and found materials to inspire and add character to your work
- Collage and lamination techniques using vintage textiles and papers
- Embroidery techniques, free motion and hand stitching
- Making a ‘folding book’ as a side project
Using a sewing machine is helpful but not necessary
there is no Material fee
About Anne...
Anne Kelly is a Kent based artist, author and tutor. She trained in Canada and at Goldsmiths College in London. She creates multilayered textile collages using vintage and reclaimed fabrics combined with machine and hand-stitching.
Anne says:
‘I have been inspired by folk art and imagery from an early age. Growing up in Canada I was surrounded by folk textiles and furniture. I have chosen pieces that show this influence, either through the use of materials or the subject matter. I have been researching folk art in textiles in the UK and abroad this year for my third book for Batsford Press, due out in 2018. Please get in touch (details below) with any comments or queries’.
She was artist in residence at the RHS partnered Sussex Prairie Garden in West Sussex in 2014, invited artist at the Prague Patchwork Meeting, World of Threads Festival in Canada twice, Quilt en Beaujolais and Les Aiguilles en Luberon. She was a featured artist gallery at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in London, Harrogate and Dublin last year.
Anne writes for ‘Workshop on the Web’, textileartist.org blog, and has had articles published in ‘Embroidery’, ‘Stitch’, ‘the Quilter’, ‘Pretty Patches’ and many other journals in the UK, Europe and the USA, including ‘Cloth, Paper, Scissors’ and ‘Fiber Art Now’. Her two books for Batsford press have both been reprinted, the co-written ‘Connected Cloth’ and solo ‘Textile Nature’. Anne teaches and tutors throughout the UK and abroad, mainly for guilds and groups. Her work was included on the GCSE Textile paper in 2016.
Anne believes in re purposing vintage and discarded textiles and uses techniques to collage and enhance these pieces of work in her practice and teaching. She produces commissions for private and public display.
Materials List
Tutor Materials that you will provide:
Canvas unbleached for backing cloth (1/2 metre per student)
Tissue paper (white)
Students Requirements List:
It’s helpful if you choose a colour scheme(s) when choosing your materials, choose your favourite pieces
1/2 metre unbleached canvas or heavy calico, linen for background
sewing machine and hand stitching kit if possible
Pins and scissors
Pritt stick
Printing blocks relating to nature
Letter blocks if desired
Ribbons and lace in a range of sizes
Small buttons for embellishing
Pictures /sketches of favourite birds, flowers and folk art inspiration
If you keep sketchbooks bring them along!
coloured, printed and plain tissue paper
Hand made paper scraps, maps
old domestic textile fragments (embroidered or plain)
scraps of fabric old and new – florals and patterns
There is no material fee
Workshop Terms
While our fibre art workshops are usually held in the gallery's historically significant workshop space, the workshop venue may change according to the needs and wishes of the artist tutor. Likewise, the times of the workshops may vary depending on the type of workshop and its presentation.
Timeless Textiles Gallery will, at its own discretion, where a participant is unable to attend a fibre art workshop, an exchange or credit note will be made available or a refund of the deposit or payment in accordance with the following Workshop Refund Policy.
Major commitments must be met, and in fairness to all, the policy concerning the refund is:
Cancellations 3 months prior to workshop date - refund 80% fees paid
Cancellations 2 months prior to workshop date- refund 50% fees paid.
Cancellations 1 month prior to workshop date- no refund.
