MOVING ON................

 Like all wonderful things, sometimes they must come to an end as life take exciting twists and turns.

It is with some sadness that WSTA has to announce that it will no longer be running creative courses due to new opportunities which we are now involved in.

We would like to thank all our wonderful and inspiring students for making our time teaching them a real pleasure.

So many students have come through our doors and all have found their own identity as practicing textile artists as they themselves are now forging new careers within the creative industries. 

It has been a real joy so thank you once again to our students for making life fulfilling.

Here to the next phase ..... to the future and beyond!

A Busy Day was Had!

REPEAT SEDUCTION!!!!

A busy day was had in the studio generating a lot of potential design work - all on the principle of repeat. Here are some of the students artwork.

All the design work was worked in progression over 40 sheets of paper! make your mark, do one mark over all  sheets, move onto the next mark, again work this single mark over all sheets, then keep doing one process in succession. gradually build in some detailling and alter this with each sheet you work.  A great way to build up a series.!!!!!

WSTA - ANNUAL STUDENTS EXHIBITION 2013

A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY!!!!!!

We are starting our Summer Term here at WSTA, and our students are busy working on their projects for their Annual Summer Showcase Exhibition for 2013.

Time whizzes by and July will be here before we know it so please make a note of the dates for your diary.

The Exhibition is being held at South Hill Park Arts Centre, from Tuesday July 2nd - Saturday July 6th 2013.  Do come and visit us and be inspired by the work of our students.

We will be taking enrolments for City & Guilds Certificate & Diploma as well as our Advanced Workshops, our Mentoring classes.

You can also check out our new Programme of short courses and workshops for October 2013 to June 2014.  Come along and Book one of these in advance to make sure you have a place on these popular sessions.

We look forward to seeing you!

Design & Stitch - Exploring Surface Textures

We thought that all of you out there who might be just waiting for a short course to help you become inspired to have a go at stitched textiles might be interested in our 3 day workshops which could just completely change your life!  ( no, seriously, once bitten with the stitch bug, you can never stop - it just becomes a life enhancing hobby or more.....)  please come and join us at South Hill park for what will be a very inspirational time.

Introduction/course guide blurb :     This Short course is aimed at beginners & those with some experience with stitch.  You may well have some of experience using traditional embroidery methods and approaches or be a complete beginner, whichever category you fit into this course will open and expand your eyes and knowledge into creative stitched textiles and the endless applications to creative rich textured surfaces that can be taken into cushions, accessories, bags, shoes, hats,  vessels, panels, wall-hangings and so on -

What is the course about & what you will we cover?     The course will cover a range of hand stitch methods, including, linear, isolated, & composite stitches – You will look at historical applications and then be shown how to develop & extend upon those stitches to make them innovative, exciting and totally ‘out of the box’. You will use both traditional embroidery threads, as well as mixed media  materials such as string, raffia, plastic bags, fabric strips, wire & so on.

You will also cover basic methods of applying colour to your background fabrics and look at ways using basic design principles to create a series of designs that demonstrate borders, motifs and all over pattern.  These designs will then be worked using the stitch methods covered.

You will also look at simple methods of how to dye your own embroidery threads.

You will learn how to create your own print blocks from your own designs.

You will learn how to raise the embroidered surface to create rich textural stitched textile.

What can I expect to achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to:   

·         Build up a knowledge of a range of embroidery stitches, their traditional and experimental approaches and      applications.

·         Gain an understanding of using stitch & threads to create rich textured surfaces.

·         Learn how to create simple designs for borders, motifs & all over pattern which could be used for pillowcase /beddlinen edgings, on clothing, ribbons wall panels, accessories etc., etc.).

·         Learn how to colour your own background fabric and apply your designs.

·         Learn how to create your own print blocks

·         Know how to dye your own  silk and natural fibre threads.

All Students:   All students would be able to learn stitches, create interesting stitch surfaces, be able to colour and add designs to background fabrics, use embroidery & innovative threads, & dye their own

Students with some experience will also:     Be able to push and develop a greater understanding and knowledge of stitched textiles and working methods.

    

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?*

The course is suitable for beginners & those with some experience.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions to support demonstrations, hand-outs and for health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?*

You will be shownt practical exercises, which are supported by demonstrations, discussions, illustration and handouts. Tutorials will take place individually, with small groups and with the group as a whole. Extension exercises can be set if requested, to be completed at home.

Are there any other costs (e.g. certification, materials, equipment or books I need to buy)? Is there anything I need to bring?*

Basic materials are provided, but you can also bring your own threads, scissors, needles and neutral fabrics should you wish.

    

What feedback will I get?

You will receive regular feedback from your tutor throughout the course, as and when appropriate. At the end of the course you and your tutor will assess the progress you have made.  (very informally & friendly)!

City & Guilds, Creative Sketchbooks

Hi All,

We are pleased to announce that we are able to offer the Level 2 City & Guilds Creative Sketchbooks Course by e- learning/distance learning.

Level 2 is run over 30 weeks of studey (average student time of 8 hours per week)

The time to complete the course can vary from student to student, but thats the beauty of our distance courses, you can choose to go at your own pace.

If you are interested please contact us on Wstatextiles@gmail.com or call 07773 351550 for further details.

Some images from the Textile Print Processes workshop

OUR COURSES All our courses are run by inter-nationally known practicing tex-tile artists including published authors in their field of expertise. City & Guilds Qualifications:
Level 3, City & Guilds Certificate in
Creative Embroidery/Creative Techniques
Level 3, City & Guilds Diploma in Creative Embroidery/Creative Techniques
The City & Guilds syllabus covers a wide range of textile, mixed media and embroi-dery techniques. As well as learning basic and advanced design concepts and ap-proaches, which enables students to ex-plore their own creative potential through a series of assignments.
City & Guilds qualifications are recognized the world over and many students go on to become influential textile artists, tutors and authors.
Our City & Guilds Courses can also be undertaken on a distant learning basis.
Advanced Textile Workshop
The Textile Workshop is a course for students who have either completed C&G Embroidery part I and II, or an equivalent art based qualification. Motivation and commitment are also important, as students will be required to work on projects in their own time.
The course aims to help students in the development of their personal work through a range of visual studies and experimental embroidery methods. Students will be encouraged to use materials and techniques in an expressive manner.
Students are required to complete a summer sketchbook, using either the set project or their own area of interest. For the first two terms students will work on set exercises, with an emphasis on drawing and design.
During the workshop students will receive regular individual tutorials and be expected to participate in group tutorials.
We also offer a series of short courses and specially designed workshops which are constantly being added to. Our Short Courses
Our Short courses are aimed at both the advanced and the complete beginner. They cover a wide range such as Printing for the Textile Artist, Textile Art for Begin-ners, Machine Embroidery and Felt mak-ing. We also offer Design workshops and Mentoring sessions.