Class Outlines

Appliques

Do you want to make your own appliqués but only have a basic sewing machine. In this workshop you will learn how.

Inspired by colourful fish and butterflies thread painting, will be used without fabric distortion, to make the appliqués. You will be shown how they can eventually be applied to embellish your own quilts, cushions and clothing.

Suitable for those who feel confident using free motion machine embroidery.

Length: One Day
©Sylvia Nayl0r

Borders and Bands

Would you like to learn how to make your own bands of patterns for your next quilt then this is the workshop for you?

First we will have great fun quickly painting construction papers. These will be torn in various geometric shapes and then pasted to a background to make rows of patterns. A series of rows of different shapes and colours will make a lovely design for a quilt.

Embroideries from the Indian subcontinent will be used for inspiration and to illustrate design principles and elements such as proportion, balance, shape and harmony.

No fabric work or stitching will be done in this workshop.

Length: One Day
©Sylvia Naylor

Borders and Bands

Following on from day one, as outlined above, on day two students will use fabrics to compose a small quilt based on their paper collage. On day three the stitching can begin.

Length: Two or Three Days
©Sylvia Naylor

Now You See It Now You Don't

Using water soluble films and scraps of fabrics you will learn how to make filigree appliques, lace and jewellery using free motion machine embroidery. Learning how to stitch you applique in place will also be part of the class.

Length: One day

Level. Confidence in free motion machine embroidery is essential.

©Sylvia Naylor

Free Motion Machine Embroidery.. The Basics

This is a technique oriented course to introduce you to free motion machine embroidery.

You will learn about the use of hoops as well as suitable fabrics, threads and needle choices. You will be shown the different ways that the machine can be used to get different stitch effects. The use of some stabilisers will be discussed. Simple exercises to help you gain confidence will be part of the day.

Level: Beginners

Length: One day

Note: using automatic stitches is not part of this class.

©Sylvia Naylor

Free Motion Machine Embroidery with Mixed media

This course will show beginners how to do basic free motion machine embroidery and challenge the more advanced by expanding their repertoire of skills. In a relaxed atmosphere you will be inspired to delve deeper into fibrearts using free motion machine embroidery.

There will be the opportunity to learn how fabric dyes, paints, soluble films, collage and appliqué can be combined with free motion machine embroidery. Demonstrations, instruction and individual critiques will increase awareness of the use of colour, design and texture.

Inspiration for some of the projects and/or samples will come from the urban and natural landscape.

You may spend the week developing your skills through exercises and/or work on a project of your own choice. Emphasis is on developing your own personal skills at your own pace.

You will be required to bring a reliable sewing machine in good working order with an instruction manual if the machine is not totally familiar to you.

Length: Five days

©Sylvia Naylor

Capturing Summer

Picture a beautiful hanging about 9in wide by 30in long decorated with flowers. All you have to do is come to this workshop for a day.

We will begin by choosing a suitable background fabric which will then be made more exciting by adding bits of metallic threads over which is laid a fusible web. Flowers shapes will be cut petal by petal from fabric and then placed on the webbing. The fabric sandwich will be completed with organza. Free motion machine embroidery will unite the layers and more importantly define and embellish the flowers.

Designing with shapes will be included in the workshop.

Requirements:

A working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery.

Sewing machine in good working order

Length: one day

Length: two days if students want to paint their own backgrounds by transfer painting.

[see Transfer Painting course outline]

©Sylvia Naylor

Have Fun With Transfer Paints

In this fun class students will be introduced to transfer paints made from Disperse Dyes.

They are intended for fabrics with a high synthetic content. Innovative fibre artists will enjoy working with the paints on a variety of synthetic fabrics to create wonderful, colourful and textured fabrics for future projects. The effects of applying the paints with different items such as brushes and sponges will be explored as well as working with resists and printing. You will be shown lots of samples suggesting ideas for your own painted fabrics.

Class requirements are an open mind and a desire to experiment.

Length: One Day

©Sylvia Naylor

Inspired by Texture

Create a small, abstract, collage inspired by details in the world around us.

The collage will include a variety of fabric scraps including sheers and nets, fusible webs, hand made cords plus beads and buttons. Free motion machine embroidery techniques will be used to blend and embellish. Some hand embroidery may be added.

course requirements: an adventurous spirit

Level: intermediate [a working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery]

Length: 1, 1.5 or 2days

©Sylvia Naylor

Picture a House

In this fun class houses will be the theme leading to the creation of a mini quilt, about 12in square.

In order to free the creative spirit the class will begin by making paper collages with torn papers. [This is very liberating]

Sylvia’s samples and instructions will show how the paper collages can be used to inspire an appliqué picture.

Stitching lines will be like scribbles which can be done in regular stitching or free motion. Topics to be covered include use of colour and design. Pictures can be completed by adding buttons, beads or sequins and then binding the edges.

Suitable for all levels

Class requirements: a willingness to let go, to possibly travel beyond your comfort zone!

Length: One day
©Sylvia Naylor

Picture a Landscape

You would like to make an appliquéd landscape but just do not know where to start then this workshop is for you. The class will begin by looking at pictures of landscapes and how they can be simplified to use as a design for you to work with. Attention will be paid to design elements such as colour, texture, line and space. You will first make a paper collage, [very liberating] before beginning a picture using fusible appliqué. Ways of finishing your work of art will be discussed.

Course requirements; sewing machine in good working order

All Levels

Length: One day

©Sylvia Naylor

Picture and Stitch a Landscape

You would like to make an appliquéd landscape but just do not know where to start then this workshop is for you. The class will begin by looking at pictures of landscapes and how they can be simplified to use as a design for you to work with. Attention will be paid to design elements such as colour, texture, line and space. You will first make a paper collage, [very liberating] before beginning a picture using fusible appliqué. Next you will add to your appliquéd landscape by using free motion machine embroidery.

Simple exercises in your notebook will help with composition. You will learn how to make trees, grasses and flowers in free motion. Ways of finishing your work of art will be discussed.

Course requirements; sewing machine in good working order, darning foot

A working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery or free motion quilting.

All levels

Length:1 1/2 - 2 days

©Sylvia Naylor

Spring Year Round (Tulips)

Do you want to have tulips all year round? This is the workshop for you. You will make a lovely hanging approx. 15in square on plain or lightly patterned cotton.

Simple tulip shapes will come to life with free motion machine embroidery and thread painting.different densities of stitching and thread colours. Discussion of design principles including balance, use of space, colour, shape and density will help you to create your masterpiece.

Suitable for those with a basic working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery.

Length: One Day
©Sylvia Naylor

Stitch a Landscape Free Motion

This class will concentrate on making a simple stitched landscape using free motion machine embroidery on a softly patterned batik fabric. Simple exercises in your notebook will help with composition. You will learn how to make trees, grasses and flowers in free motion.

Techniques learned can be used to embellished your appliquéd landscapes

Course requirements; sewing machine in good working order, darning foot

A working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery or free quilting is necessary.

Length: One day

©Sylvia Naylor

Voyage Through Tropical Seas

Exotic fish swimming amongst tropical plants will be created by you in this decorative hanging. The most vibrant fish will be thread painted separately and used as appliqués. Others will be free motion stitched directly on to the batik background to swim between the plants created from fused appliqué and free motion machine embroidery.

Course requirement; a working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery

Thread Painting

Would you like to learn more about thread painting then this is the workshop for you.
Inspired by nature you will use free motion machine embroidery on cotton to shade and accent flowers, fish or butterflies. A variety of threads will be used on your sample.
The more advanced will make appliques and learn how to apply them to a cotton background. Techniques learned can be used to embellish you own quilts, cushions and clothing.
Suitable for those who feel confident using free motion machine embroidery.

Create a Sunset

Would you like to create a sunset picture but do not know where to start, then this worksop is for you.
The class will begin by looking at pictures of sunsets and how they can be simplified to use as a design for you to work with. Attention will be paid to design elements such as colour, texture, line and space. You will first make a paper collage, (very liberating) before beginning a picture using fusible applique. Next you will add to your appliqued sunset by using free motion embroidery.
Simple exercises in your notebook will help with composition. You will learn how to make trees and grasses in free motion machine embroidery. Ways of finishing your work of art will be discussed.

Course requirements: sewing machine in good working order, darning foot. A working knowledge of free motion machine embroidery or free motion quilting.