Guest Tutors
To book onto a workshop please contact the studio via our email contact@littleheathbarnstudio.com or
call Liske 07980772064 or Claire 07713875119
Alternatively use the Contact us form on the last page.
We will notify you of any equipment requirements for the workshops.
Waiting list- if you are interested in any workshops that are currently full you can drop us a line to be put on the waiting list. Quite often places become available so it's worth being on the list!
Newsletter- if you would like to be kept up to date with new workshops, guest tutors and studio news join our newsletter- simply use the contact us form on the last page or drop an email contact@littleheathbarnstudio.com
Jennifer Collier :
Paper Dresses
Friday 9th May 2025, 10:00-16:00 *full, e'mail to go on waiting list
We're looking forward to welcoming back Jen with her signature style of beautiful stitched paper.
Jennifer will show you a range of traditional hand and machine stitch techniques, including Paper Patchwork, Pleating, Paper Pockets, Button Loops, Covered Buttons and Covered Bindings which be used on found papers.
These skills will be used these to create small paper dresses. Please bring along your favourite books and papers to incorporate into your work.
Some sewing experience required.
£80 including most materials and refreshments.
Ruth Parkinson-Johns:
To the horizon and back
4th & 5th June 2025, 10:00-16:00 *full, e'mail to be first to know if place becomes available
To the horizon and back with free-machine embroidery and mixed media play
Experiment with fabric paint, Inktense pencils, free-machine embroidery and a whole array of materials including water soluble fabric and Lutradur, to produce a layered sea/landscape.
Ruth will guide you through the creation and construction of the various layers, that make up this piece.
Suitable for all levels of experience.
£180 including most materials and refreshments.
Jenny O'leary :
Hot and Cold wax resists
30th June 2025, 10:00-16:00 *full, e'mail to go on waiting list
Explore the exciting marks and effects created by using different forms of resist- Batik - hot wax, brushable wax resist, oil pastels, candles, acrylic paint and stencils, singly and in combination.
With fabric, tissue and found papers as the base, you will work with the resists, inks and bleach. You will explore the use of a wide range of traditional and non traditional tools to apply the hot wax. From potato mashers and whisks to tjantings and brushes.
Many samples will be developed as well as larger pieces. You may choose to work from abstract images for inspiration such as textures of bark, rust, etc or you may choose to enjoy the freedom of exploring the effects you can achieve with the range of materials and equipment provided.
£80 including most materials and refreshments.
Judith Brown :
Wire Seed Head Stems
17th July 2025, 10:00-16:00 *Full, e'mail to be first to hear if a place becomes available
A new tutor with a nature inspired workshop where we’ll create a variety of detailed wire seed head stems to display in a vase.
Inspiration will come from seed heads such as cow parsley, poppies, grasses and more.
Judith will teach you how to use various gauges of wire and different techniques to create your seed heads. You can expect to come away with a bunch of stems to display at home, based on the ideas pictured in the photo.
All materials and use of tools is included. If you have a small (around 14-
18cm tall) narrow necked vase you wish to display your finished stems in
at home do bring that along, if not, you can borrow one from Judith for the day. The vase pictured is not included.
£85 including most materials and refreshments.
Angie Hughes :
Wild Garden
12th & 13th August 2025, 10:00-16:00 *2 places available
In this new workshop students will study images of artists work....... artists inspired by nature and colour. Using these images as inspiration we will work on black and white cotton velvet getting to know how to use different glues to apply foil, mark making using an iron, painting, stencilling, bondaweb and a few extra surprises.
There will also be a machine embroidery session to further understand ways of couching, cable stitching and other stitch methods enhancing the surface of our velvet pieces.
£175 including most materials and refreshments.
Rachele Dickie :
Indigo - Katagami - Katazome
29th & 30th August 2025, 10:00-16:00 *2 places available
For 2025 we're offering a 2-day indigo dyeing workshop that is purely focussed on Katagami and Katazome.
Ise Katagami is the Japanese art of stencil cutting intricate designs into a specialist paper.
Katazome is the process of resist dyeing textiles usng a rice paste which is applied to cloth through the stencil.
On this workshop we will cut our own simple stencils in which to apply a paste through. You will also learn how to use commercial stencils to create a collection of samples.
On day two we will explore double sided pieces, as well as two colour designs.
All samples will be indigo dyed. You will learn how to build depth with multiple dips into the dye.
£175 including most materials and refreshments. Own natural fabrics required (or can be ordered from us)
Rachel Harwood Willow :
Foraging Basket
Friday 5th September 2025, 10:00-16:30
Rachel is a Warwickshire based willow sculptor, who uses British grown willow to create pieces for the home and garden.
Join us on this day workshop to create a beautiful little foraging basket perfect for carrying berries and treasures from your foraging trips, or a stash of haberdashery! Using traditional basketry techniques you will create a base, learn how to stake up the sides and use different colours and styles to weave the side. Finishing with a simple border and handle.
£105 including all materials and refreshments.
Amanda Clayton :
Quietly Composed
Thursday 11th & Friday 12th September 2025, 10:00-16:00
Mandy's favourite workshop which really introduces her personal philosophies about mark and stitch/paper and cloth.
Enjoy the calming nature of hand stitch whilst absorbing the serendipity of composition. With a pared down palette of naturals you will explore the techniques of cutwork, darning, applique, layering and inlay using transparent qualities as well as your favourite cloth qualities.
You will work towards developing an individual series of work from your own imagery using your own visual language. I believe that paring down to bare formal elements can help us to understand ourselves, especially our likes and dislikes, and develop our own individual visual language. Some embroiderers feel they have to draw but do not necessarily know why. This course will show you how to ‘draw for a reason’. It will also open a dialogue of ‘What is drawing?’
I have strong philosophies, which I love to share, about linking paper and cloth qualities, also mark and stitch. The course will help you understand how links and connections are made with your work and yourself…the course is not about introducing one piece of work but reinforcing a work process that you will revisit constantly afterwards.
£175 including most materials and refreshments.
Ruth Parkinson-Johns :
Shoreline
Thursday 25th September 2025, 10:00-16:00
Create a hand embroidered stitched doodle, inspired by taking a walk on the beach.
Bring in your own beach finds from a special place or use ones provided by Ruth (eg. Shells, driftwood or sea glass).
Trap these special finds down amongst layers of fabrics and threads and embellish this further with beautiful textures and patterns created with hand embroidery.
£80 including most materials and refreshments.
Leah Higgins :
Luscious Layers
October 22nd, 23rd, 24th 2025, 10:00-16:00 *Full - e'mail to be first on waiting list!
When you are learning a new surface design technique there is a natural tendency to just use that technique to create a single layer of colour, mark, texture, line or shape. But what happens when you combine multiple techniques on a piece of fabric, building layers...
You get complex beautiful art cloth; fabric that can simply be framed or hung, fabric that can be enhanced by stitch, fabric that can be used in conjuncture with other fabrics to create spectacular wall art, fabric that can be used to make truly unique clothing.
This three-day workshop is aimed at those with experience of using Procion MX dyes to add colour to fabric using a range of techniques such as screen printing, mark making, monoprinting, dyeing etc. It is not suitable for beginners as it assumes prior knowledge of multiple surface design techniques.
At the end of the three days you will have a series of samples that combine different techniques, exploring the impact of scale of marks, colour value and colour proportion (these may be little works of art in their own right!).
£300 including most materials and refreshments.
Anne Kelly :
Abstract Journey Scroll
Friday 14th November 2025, 10:00-16:00
A one-day course with artist, tutor, and author Anne Kelly.
Using techniques and inspiration from her latest book, Anne will demonstrate how to print and make a scroll, using simple and effective methods and materials. Your scroll will be symbolic, before your arrive on the course it might be a good idea to choose a journey, local of holiday, that can inspire your piece. Any photos of landscape might be helpful - these will be abstracted within your scroll.
£85 including most materials and refreshments.