Touchy Textiles

About

Textiles are intertwined with everyday life – they are with us from birth to death, and mark many of life’s important events.  The tactile sensation of touch can evoke past memories of nurture and security, or elicit feelings of disgust and apprehension.  Touch is also used in care homes, as a therapeutic tool to improve the wellbeing of the elderly, dementia sufferers and people with disabilities. 

Participants will be able to combine stitch with mixed media, to create their own personal memory cloth, using a variety of techniques:-

·           Quilting, using multi-layers to symbolise buried emotions and memories.

·           Darning and patching, as a metaphor for emotional repair and healing.

·           Texture and colour, using both stitch and appliqué, to explore moods and feelings.

All levels of ability are welcome.  The workshop is aimed at adults with an interest in textiles, wishing to create an experimental piece of mixed media art.  There will be demonstrations of basic embroidery techniques, and a display of samples and sketchbooks to inspire further exploration after the session. 

Cost: - Free.  Although basic material can be supplied, please bring a basic sewing kit (scissors, needles, etc), fabrics (woollen blankets, old clothing, sheer fabrics, etc), embroidery threads, and collage scraps (papers, photographs, wrappers, found objects).

Please book workshop tickets at Eventbrite:- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/touchy-textiles-tickets-59198309738.

Touchy Textiles forms part of the Antiuniversity Festival (15th – 22nd June 2019) - www.antiuniversity.org.   There is also an exhibition, Touchy at the same venue  (Limehouse Town Hall, 12noon - 6pm) no need  to book, please drop by!