This two-day course will begin with an introduction by Anne explaining how she creates her painted fabrics and embellishes them with added paint, stitch, threads and fabric. Then, using a photograph of your own house, or a favourite building, you will learn how to use this to create your own design, including how to enlarge or change the dimensions of your picture with or without the aid of a computer.

You will then learn how to make a simplified drawing of the building, moving on to select the fabrics needed for each element of your design, adding further paint where needed.

Following this you will begin to stitch your work, using free machine embroidery. Full instruction and help will be given to those new to this technique. Details will be added to your design using stitch and additional fabrics, to finally produce a finished piece of unique art and textile work. This can be made into a book cover, small cushion, picture or wall hanging.

There will be time for a question and answer session to give you a chance to refresh yourselves on any of the techniques and design points.

You will need to bring a 10 x 15 cm photograph of your house (or it could be a favourite part of it, if you prefer). Alternatively it could be a friend’s house, or a favourite building,  the choice is yours. You will be creating your design from this so make sure the details (windows, doors etc) are not too small.

Potato or sweet potato and small sharp vegetable knife
Apron
Basic sewing kit (needles, pins, scissors, tape measure etc)
Extension Lead
Sewing Machine (and user manual) you will need a darning foot and a standard straight stitch foot
Machine threads, a minimum of black, grey and white but bring the colours that feature in your photograph if you have them

The following items are essential but can be purchased on the day from the tutor if you wish
Background fabric - minimum of 36 x 25 cms (lining/ backing fabric the same size)
**Fabric the colour of your building – minimum 10 x 15cms
**Other pieces of fabric for the other details in your photograph
Craft Interfacing – minimum 32 x 25cms
Bondaweb, heat n bond or similar – minimum half a metre
**My fabrics are hand painted but commercially produced fabrics may be used if you wish

A kit which will include all the “essential” items detailed above (fabrics, craft interfacing, heat n bond) can be purchased for £10.
I will bring a wide range of “building coloured” painted fabrics, but if you require any particularly unusual coloured fabric please let me know well in advance.

Anne Hellyer

For as long as I can remember I have been interested in drawing and painting and at the age of six my grandmother introduced me to her sewing machine and I have been making things ever since.  From 2005 – 2009 I studied a City & Guilds in Creative Embroidery. Since then I have been hand painting all my fabric, which I then use to create art works. I also make kits for students to “have a go”. I love teaching and attending craft shows to share my passion for fabric, paint and stitch.

www.paintingthetown.org.uk