The Sculptural Stitch: drawing and sculpting with machine embroidery with Meredith Woolnough
Course Overview
This workshop explores a range of embroidery techniques on water-soluble fabrics focusing on creating experimental stitched surfaces.
Combining various machine stitch techniques with collaged materials we will create a range of dynamic embroidered samples, which will then be developed into a larger art project of your choosing.
By the end of the workshop students will have an understanding of the freehand machine embroidery technique and be confident in working on a water-soluble base fabric and manipulating it to create sculptural embroidered forms.
The workshop is open to all levels.
Students will need to provide their own sewing machine with a freehand embroidery foot.
Teacher Profile
Meredith Woolnough is an award winning visual artist that works and lives near the coastal region of Newcastle NSW.
. Her practice engages with the natural environment utilising the skeletal frameworks of flora and fauna as the basis of her own embroidered specimens. Threads are densely stitched into freeform sculptures that are carefully pinned to paper or set in resin preserving them as delicate handmade artifacts. Her work explores themes of the interconnectedness of living things and environmental degradation.
Materials List
Student material and equipment list:
- A sewing machine with its standard accessories including sewing table. (Must have the capability to turn the feet teeth off)
- A freehand embroidery foot or darning foot for your sewing machine
- Spare sewing machine needles (sharp or jeans needles recommended)
- Bobbins suited to your machine
- A thread stand (if you like to work with one)
- A small embroidery hoop (15 – 25cm is good)
- Embroidery scissors
- Fabric scissors
- Squares of sample fabric to fit your embroidery hoop (calico or cotton drill suggested but any woven fabric is suitable)
- Embroidery threads of your choice (high quality polyester thread recommended).
- Small objects or materials to embed in resin (could be shells, fabric scraps, feathers, threads, beads, and other small objects that fascinate you)
- Sketch book and pencils/pens
There is a material fee of $10 payable to the artist
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.
