Exploring with Julia Wright

Today we had a brilliant workshop with Julia Wright exploring a range of wrapping, binding and couching, entrapment and embroidery techniques. Julia has just returned from teaching in Australia, landing on Sunday but she stayed awake!

We experimented with recycled hand dyed fabrics, scraps of fabrics, threads and recycled materials to create textural samples.

Julia's work is inspired by close up details seen in landscapes and coastal areas using natural colours. Her pieces are absolutely lovely and so unusual.

Here is some of the work she brought to inspire us, you can see more using the link above. You can also catch her at Knit and Stitch where she is exhibiting.

We started by wrapping strips of fabric in thread to couch down later - the wiggly bits. We used thread and fabric scraps to make the little mounds. Next was the "bunch of grapes" effect followed by wrapped recycled plastic to make "mushroom" shapes; then it was rings to make the "limpet" type pieces.

We had a great time and everyone felt really inspired to start building our final pieces. All the techniques were so effective.

Thanks to Julia for a great day and for coming to visit on the back of such a long flight!

Here are some of our pieces to couch down later.