Sumptuous surfaces explores the wonders of highly textured free form contemporary hand embroidery while also developing design skills. Students will learn how designing is accomplished as well as techniques used in free form textured hand embroidery. Students are encouraged to design and make two or three small hand embroidered panels. I suggest students work on fabric postcards as this size is ideal to work as a small design exercise. However if people want to work larger it is their choice.

If you are hesitant about designing your own projects, new hands to embroidery are offered the choice of a number patterns to either directly follow, use as a jumping off point, or see how a design is developed. Those more experienced stitchers are actively encouraged to jump in and design their own piece. This means the course is suitable for beginners to advanced stitchers as you can work at your own skill level.

The first section of the course deals with designing highly textured pieces in monotone. The second section of the course builds on that knowledge and students design and work a piece using colour. Throughout the six week course key concepts in design are covered such as, composition, shape, geometrical and organic shape, space, handling positive and negative space, scale, density, weight, line, movement, direction and texture.

Throughout the course I have focused intensely on texture as design element. Understanding texture is key in the textile arts. An area of interest can be created because it is heavily textured, complex and intricate. Texture is also the element that separates textiles from arts such as drawing or painting. In both drawing and painting texture is represented whereas in textiles we have the option of representing texture or actually working the physicality of texture. In other words the surface can be manipulated in a physical way not just represented. This aspect of textiles sets it apart as a medium.

All my courses are written to be used long after the course is finished. I understand that sometimes life gets in the way and some students are not able to stitch along in the 6 week period. For anyone who finds themselves in this position the teaching material provided will enable you to work through the ideas in a self paced manner.

Course Outline

Week 1
The first week is an introduction to the design process. The same basic process is used to design everything. This process is often described in three steps, Concept, Form and Content. Simply put the Concept is the idea, the form is the technique and the Content is the meaning in the realised project.

In this first week key principals of design are covered in order to develop a design for a monotone piece of embroidery. I cover where to look for design ideas and how to develop them. This week we cover key concepts such as, composition, shape, geometrical and organic shape, space, handling positive and negative space, scale, density, weight, line, movement, direction and texture.

Week 2 and 3
In week one we discussed Concept and developed our designs. In week two and three we look at form. In other words we deal with techniques that can bring your project to fruition. In these two weeks we look at the nuts and bolts of stitching, thread choice, working with textured stitching, found objects and beads.

In these two weeks you give form to your concept. This is the physical part of the design process for embroiderers it is the time when you actively work your ideas in thread. At this stage you can never tell what might happen. Along the way ideas change and develop. Flexibility is an important artistic skill and this attribute and what it does to the design process is discussed.

Week 4
Colour is a huge topic so I have devoted a week to it. In week 4 once again we return to the design process and work up a design in colour. So it is out with a colour wheel, and learning how to use it applied to textiles and in particular hand embroidery. Once again we are exploring ideas on paper or in a visual journal only this time we are dealing with colour principals and design combined. New designs are explored and worked up with an eye to creating them over the final two weeks.

Week 5 and 6
Once again in these two weeks you give form to your concept. In this time block it is the time when you actively make up and stitch your design or designs. This time you learn to handle colour as well as combining the skills learnt in the first section of the course. During these weeks I introduce more stitches and new techniques to help you realize your design.

Throughout the course we will discuss the third step in the design process that of Content. The forum at Joggles provides an ideal place for this, as we can see and discuss the success of a piece. Students can see how their work is being read and interpreted by others. In other words we can ask if the Content of the piece reveals the concept of the piece.

Some students may wish to simply treat everything made in this course as design exercises. That is fine, as that is their chosen concept. The content is a design exercise. Other students may wish to tackle other subjects. This is also fine as I actively encourage all students to learn and develop in their own manner and it makes for an interesting class!

This Class will start on March 11th 2010. You can book and buy the class here 

 A notice to students

For anyone who has taken one of my classes please feel free to leave a comment so that people who are thinking of taking a class can read what you thought of them.