Diary

Colours from Nature: pop-up exhibition

Celebrating the work of recent and former graduates of Jenny Dean and Jacqui Symons’ six-month natural dyeing course.

Times: 10.30 am – 5.00 pm.

Tapestry weaving – the basics

Learn the process of woven tapestry. After warping up, learn basic principles using different yarns, blending and combining colour to create shapes and lines and using techniques to give texture such as wrapping, knotting and tufting.

Tutor: Philip Sanderson

Cost: £321

Telling a Yarn: Remember, React, Re-tell

An exhibition by Threadmill Textile Artists celebrating Farfield Mill’s industrial heritage and showcasing the versatility of wool fibre, yarn and cloth by exploring different ways in which these can be manipulated and re-presented in new forms.

Telling a Yarn: Remember, React, Re-tell

A celebration of the rich heritage of the woollen industry of Cumbria and Yorkshire by the Threadmill Textile Artists group.

Murmuration: A Collaborative Tapestry Project

Members of the international Waterline project continue their collaboration in a new series of handwoven tapestries on the theme of murmuration.

Evening weave classes with James Donald

This course offers one-to-one tuition, with access to an extensive range of specialist textile literature. All materials and equipment are provided, and the class is suitable for both beginners and those with previous weave experience.

Contact James Donald for availability.

Times: Tuesday or Thursday evenings, 6pm – 9pm.

Cost: £330 (11 classes).

Design for Weave – Laura Thomas

A self-directed online course created by designer/weaver Laura Thomas.  Suitable for those with existing weaving knowledge who want to build their design understanding and confidence.

Cost: £125

Weaving a Foundation – Cornerstones of the Textile Arts Collection

An exhibition of 60 objects from the museum’s permanent collection and featuring textiles from indigenous traditions across the world, including regions of the American Southwest and Mexico; India and Pakistan; and the Indonesian islands of Bali, Java, and Sumatra.

Kimono: Kyoto To Catwalk

Showing the kimono as a dynamic, ever-evolving icon of fashion, the exhibition traces its evolution and influence from 17th century Japan to today’s cutting-edge couture and street fashion across the world.

Open daily, 10.00 – 17.00

Tickets: see website for details.

Farfield Mill Textile Competition

Farfield Mill Textile is inviting submissions from artists worldwide, in any form of textile art, to its first international competition, on the theme of ‘Celebrating Wool’.  Selected works will be exhibited at Farfield Mill later in 2025.

Designed to dry – Kitty van der Mijll Dekker x Vera Roggli

Kitty van der Mijll Dekker (1908-2004) was an influential Dutch designer of interior and household textiles including the humble tea towel. This history has inspired contemporary designer Vera Roggli.

Designed to dry – Kitty van der Mijll Dekker and Vera Roggli

An exhibition that sheds light on Bauhaus-trained designer Kitty van der Mijll Dekker (1908-2004), an influential Dutch designer of interior and household textiles. Contemporary textile designer Vera Roggli, working in collaboration with weavers and other artisans, has created ‘portraits’ woven on industrial looms in response to this history.

Basketry: Rescuing, Reviving, Retaining

A touring exhibition in partnership with the Basketmakers’ Association, showcasing the designs, skills and techniques of traditional basketry in the British Isles by contemporary makers.

Swapnaa Tamhane: The Golden Fibre

A new installation that draws inspiration from University of Dundee and Verdant Works (Dundee Heritage Trust) archives, exploring jute and the jute industry around Calcutta in British-ruled Bengal.

Open daily except Tuesday, 10.00 – 17.00

Free

Silk Roads

A major exhibition that unravels how the journeys of people, objects and ideas that formed the Silk Roads shaped cultures and histories from about AD 500 to 1000.

Sheila Hicks

The first major solo exhibition of the American artist Sheila Hicks in Germany. In large and small-format wall works, tapestries, reliefs, sculptures and installations Hicks explores the interplay between material, colour and space.

William Morris & Art from the Islamic World

The first exhibition to explore the influence of art from the Islamic world on William Morris, one of Britain’s most important nineteenth century designers and thinkers

Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm.

Free admission (suggested donation £5).

Ptolemy Mann: Woven Colour

Ptolemy Mann’s second solo show at Dovecot featuring over 20 handwoven rugs and her most recent Thread Paintings along-side paintings on paper and canvas.

There will be a ‘meet the artist’ talk by Ptolemy Mann on February 5th.  See website for details and tickets.

Virtual Exhibition International Weaving – BEES

Shirley Craven

An exhibition of over 80 vivid, colour-filled textiles by post-war designer Shirley Craven (Chief Designer and Director of textile printing firm Hull Traders).

Tapestry: Introduction to Studio Practice

Now in its 6th year, Introduction to Studio Practice is a part time study programme which offers students the opportunity to build their creative and technical skills in tapestry weaving. It is aimed at students who have some experience of tapestry weaving and are looking to extend their practice by committing to an extended and intensive programme of study.

The programme runs from November 2024 to September 2025.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

Cost: £1,200

Haptic & Hue- podcast

A series of podcasts exploring the way in which cloth speaks to us and the impact it has on our lives.

https://hapticandhue.com/

All Hands On: Basketry

Highlighting basketry traditions and modern innovation, the exhibition features items from the Museum of European Cultures’ collection and pieces by contemporary artists.

Weave a Scarf on a Table Loom

Suitable for beginners who will have the opportunity to incorporate different weave structures as well as choosing from a variety of yarns in different colours and textures.

Tutor: Agnis Smallwood

Cost: £85

Times: 10am – 4pm

Tapestry weaving – the basics

Learn the process of woven tapestry. After warping up, learn basic principles using different yarns, blending and combining colour to create shapes and lines and using techniques to give texture such as wrapping, knotting and tufting.

Tutor: Philip Sanderson

Cost: £321

Christmas Wool Show

See website for further details.

An introduction to Tadek Beutlich’s Free Warp Tapestry

Artist and basketmaker Tim Johnson will lead this workshop exploring the ‘free warp tapestry’ techniques that Tadek Beutlich innovated after his move to Spain in the 1970s.

Time: 10:30 am – 3:00 pm

Cost: £100

An Invitation to Freedom: exploring Tadek Beutlich’s unpublished manuscript

Tim Johnson will present his research and related creative work exploring Tadek Beutlich’s unpublished manuscript, detailing his innovative ‘Free Warp Tapestry’ techniques.

Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Cost: £20

An introduction to Tadek Beutlich’s Free Warp Tapestry

Artist and basketmaker Tim Johnson will lead this workshop exploring the ‘free warp tapestry’ techniques that Tadek Beutlich innovated after his move to Spain in the 1970s.

Time: 10:30 am – 3:00 pm

Cost: £100

Get weaving!

Explore the use of colour and texture: dress a loom: understand how to read pattern draft. Suitable for both absolute beginners and developing weavers.

Tutor: Jan Beadle (Cumbria highamhall.com/jan-beadle)

Times: Thursday January 16, 2025 at 18:30 to Sunday January 19, 2025 at 13:30

Residential: £410 Non-residential: £285 (yarns £15 available to purchase from
tutor).

Waltham Abbey Wool Show

See website for details.

Tapestry weaving for beginners

Learn woven tapestry techniques for shaping, shading and weaving diagonals to make a sample panel.

Tutor: Caron Penney

Cost: £323

Introduction to tapestry weaving

An introduction to the basic skills involved in creating a woven tapestry, from warping up a simple frame loom to exploring flat woven techniques, creating shapes, lines and playing with colour.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

Time: 10am- 4pm

Cost: £215

Set up a loom and start weaving

Learn how to make a warp and thread a multi-shaft table loom. Once the looms are set up you can start weaving your own cloth to take home.

Tutor: Angie Parker

Cost: £260.72

Time: Sat 10.30 – Sun 5.00pm

Get weaving!

Explore the use of colour and texture: dress a loom: understand how to read pattern draft. Suitable for both absolute beginners and developing weavers.

Tutor: Jan Beadle (Cumbria highamhall.com/jan-beadle)

Times: Thursday January 16, 2025 at 18:30 to Sunday January 19, 2025 at 13:30

Residential: £410 Non-residential: £285 (yarns £15 available to purchase from
tutor).

Spring into Textiles East Fair

Check website for further details.

(Spring into) Textiles East Fair

See website for further details.

Introduction to tapestry weaving

A residential tapestry weaving holiday (4 days tuition). For more information and booking see Gartmore House website.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

https://www.fionahutchison.co.uk/workshops/

Exploring techniques in woven tapestry

A workshop suitable for beginners and beyond, taking inspiration from the Heallreaf tapestry exhibition to explore ideas and techniques.

Tutor: Anna Wetherell

Times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cost: £65 plus £5 for materials.

Small-scale twined baskets

Learn how to twine as you make one or two small-scale twined baskets using paper yarn, incorporating a pattern and a simple border into your basket.

Tutor: Mary Crabb

Cost: £163

Tapestry weaving – the art of translation

For weavers who have grasped the basics, this course will introduce the process of translating an art work into woven tapestry.

Tutor: Philip Sanderson

Cost: £321

Shape Shifting – creating a shaped tapestry

Leave the square or rectangular format behind and learn how to pull and manipulate your weaving to create curves and bends in tapestry.

Level: Beginners and developing weavers

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

Time: 10am- 4pm

Cost: £215

Kumihimo – Japanese braidmaking

Develop skills and techniques in Japanese Kumihimo braiding and produce a range of samples and a finished item.

Tutor: Jacqui Carey

Cost: £478

Fine felt making with British wools

Explore less familiar native wools and celebrate their diversity for fine felt making.

Tutor: Liz Clay

Cost: £484

Vessel and form – weaving the line

Explore linear and spatial relationships and how to introduce detail with fibres and yarns in the creation of a three-dimensional form.

Tutor: Gizella K Warburton

Cost: £474

An Introduction to Contemporary Hand Weaving

This tapestry frame weaving workshop will provide a grounding in tapestry weaving techniques.

Times: 10:30 am – 4:30 pm

Cost: £120

Weave a cushion workshop

Weave a cushion panel on a 50cm wide four shaft table loom.  No sewing required.

Tutor: Angie Parker

Cost: £87.38

Time: 2.45pm – 5.45pm

Passementerie – linen and rayon multiple mould tassels

Learn the traditional techiques of tassel-making for interior decoration using a set of wooden moulds and high quality yarns.

Tutor: Anna Crutchley

Cost: £316

Weaving on a body-tensioned loom

Learn the key skills of weaving using a simple, body-tensioned, rigid heddle loom.

Tutor: Rebecca Connolly

Cost: £498

Natural Dyeing: the fundamentals

An introduction to using natural dyes on fabrics, yarns and other fibres; the techniques needed for dyeing with plants and plant-based colour, and how to get good results.

Cost: £450

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

The Stitch Festival

See website for further details.

Colour, Texture and Pattern

Experiment with colour and texture on a 4-shaft table loom, set up and ready to go. Suitable for beginners and or those with some experience.

Tutor: Jan Beadle

Times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cost: £75 plus £5 for materials

Mentoring for Tapestry and Mixed Media Textiles

Three days of mentoring, working in a small discussion group of like-minded textile artists to develop and sustain your individual creative practice.

Tutor: Rachel Johnston

Dates: 5 February, 5 March and 2 April 2025

Cost: £463

Beginners’ Willow Basketry

Design and create an oval willow trug basket in this two day workshop for beginners (28 March & 4 April) .

Tutor: Anna Liebmann

Cost: £225

Times: 10am – 4pm

Heallreaf 5

The 5th Heallreaf exhibition of small-scale handwoven tapestries.

Heallreaf is an Old English word meaning a tapestry hung in a public place (pronounced ‘hair-ll-reff’).

Become a Weaver

From winding a warp and dressing a loom to weaving cloth, this workshop will provide tips and techniques to ease the path into weaving for beginners and those with previous experience.

Tutor: Jan Beadle

Cost: £150 plus £5 for materials

Sodbury Yarn Over!

See website for further details.

Spring into Wool

See website for further details.

Ditchling Museum dye garden tour

A tour of the museum’s dye garden where plants that can be harvested for natural dyes are grown.

Time: 10:45 am

Cost: £8

Basket Weaving

An introduction to willow weaving. During the day you will make your own trug/foraging basket from locally grown and harvested willow.

Tutor: Jackie Carnell

Times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Cost: £70 plus £5 for materials.

Introduction to tapestry weaving

A residential tapestry weaving holiday (4 days tuition). For more information and booking see Gartmore House website.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

https://www.fionahutchison.co.uk/workshops/

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

A Weekend of Colour

Led by dye expert Debbie Tomkies, this weekend workshop covers a wide range of techniques.  Suitable for more experienced dyers as well as complete beginners.

Cost: £250.

Free Warp Tapestry – exploring the fibre art techniques of Tadek Beutlich 

An in-depth exploration of the ‘free warp tapestry’ techniques developed by Tadek Beutlich after he relocated from Ditchling to Spain in the 1970s.

Time: 10:30 am – 4.30pm

Cost: £480

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

Natural Dyeing and Foraging for Dye Plants  

A hands-on workshop exploring the potential of dye plants grown in the dye garden, and foraged locally.

Time: 10:30 am – 4:00 pm

Cost: £120

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

Braids 2025 – Rockin’ Braids and Bands

The 6^th International Braiding Conference will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, with workshops, talks and other activities. 

See website for further information. 

Devon Weavers Workshop – Beginners’ course

A six-day beginners’ course (14th, 15th, 16th & 20th, 21st, 22nd June) based on practical learning and taught by experienced handweavers.

Cost: £350.

Introduction to tapestry weaving

A residential tapestry weaving holiday (4 days tuition). For more information and booking see Gartmore House website.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

https://www.fionahutchison.co.uk/workshops/

New Designers: Fashion and textiles

Week 1 of the New Designers show offers a showcase for recent fashion and textiles graduates, and emerging designers, from across the UK.

The National Festival of Making

Dates have been announced for the seventh edition of the National Festival of Making. Check website for updates.

Colour, Texture and Ms and Os

Add interest to simple 4 shaft weaving using colour and texture in Ms &Os weave structure.

Tutor: Mairi Gillies – Textile Designer

Cost: £360

Verve – Tapestry Touring International

Tapestry weavers from England and New Zealand come together in this fourth international touring exhibition of small format hand woven tapestries.

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

Textiles: The Art of Mankind

An exhibition celebrating the ancient and deep entanglement between textiles, people and our world, introducing materials and methods that have produced cloth but also the ropes, reins, bands and gut-strings that have given us ships, ploughs and carts, the ability to transfer electricity and to make music.Times: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11.00 – 18.00

Open: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 11.00 – 18.00 (last entry 17.15)

Cost: £12.65 (concessions may apply).

Introduction to tapestry weaving

A residential tapestry weaving holiday (4 days tuition). For more information and booking see Gartmore House website.

Tutor: Fiona Hutchison

https://www.fionahutchison.co.uk/workshops/

VÄV2025

The triennial international handweaving fair and conference organised by the Swedish Weaving Council.

More information to follow.

(Fall into) Textiles East Fair

See website for further details.

Fall into Textiles East Fair

Check website for further details.

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

British Textile Biennial 2025

The British Textile Biennial 2025 explores invention and innovation from the earliest form of shelter – the tent- to space suits, and from plant-based dyes to the first polymers. It looks at the environmental and human costs of the textile industry at the service of fast fashion over the last two centuries and explores possible alternatives.

James Donald: Weekend weave workshop

During the weekend weave class you will receive targeted and concentrated tuition, with access to a range of specialist textile literature, samples and notes, with the purpose of you leaving with a firmer grasp of how cloth is woven.

Tutor: James Donald

Times: 9.15am – 4pm

Cost: £295

British Tapestry Group – Tapestry of the North: Our Textile Heritage

An open, non-juried exhibition, hosted by the Northern region of the British Tapestry Group, on the theme of Our Textile Heritage.

The British Tapestry Group 20th Anniversary Exhibition

Picking up the Thread: the Past, Present and Future of Tapestry

The British Tapestry Group 20th anniversary exhibition will be shown at a number of venues from August 2025 and throughout 2026.

Confirmed venues include Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries, Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, Ocean Studios in Plymouth and the Morley Gallery in London.