DesignMatters Art and Craft School

Join Linda for this hand stitched appliqué workshop using sheer and transparent fabrics to achieve painterly colour effects. Inspired by paintings such as Paul Klee’s abstract watercolours, you’ll create a beautiful piece with raw edge applied layers. The fabric ‘collage’ will then be stitched by hand with a variety of embroidery threads to accentuate and blend or define the fabric shapes. Details will be added with couching and simple embroidery. Linda will also demonstrate how the same materials and techniques can be used to create a fabric landscape. Finally, you’ll be shown how to present the finished piece in a variety of different ways. This short course is suitable for all levels of experience and could be a way to recycle lots of fine fabrics you already own.

During the course you’ll see Linda work on a variety of scales to create stitched pieces that can be used for a range of purposes from greetings cards to framed wall art to decorative bags.

You’ll work with fabrics like a painter might use paint, considering soft and hard edges as you lay down areas of colour and shape. Then hand stitch will be used to bleed colour, blend and diffuse edges and create contrast. The meditative, slow stitch approach of using the running stitch will introduce texture to the surface.

Linda suggests referencing the paintings of Paul Klee and others, but if you have another favourite painter then that could also work. If you’re not familiar with any of the artists’ work, don’t worry, you’ll see we’ve included links to paintings held in collections around the world that you can view online.

Included in the course materials are original paintings by Linda, inspired by the work of Paul Klee, that you are welcome to download and use as reference.