News from the Studio
Weaving with Natural Fibres - Summer Workshop
On 19 July I’ll be hosting a one-day workshop for adults at Cockpit Studios in Deptford for anyone interested in exploring natural sustainable yarns and some of the possibilities they offer.
We’ll be weaving on 8 shaft table looms which I’ll set up in advance with a variety of different warps. You may have done some weaving previously but this workshop is also suitable for beginners who are interested in learning the basics and have an existing interest in textiles.
We’ll look at how the yarns are processed, how to identify them and how their different characteristics affect the cloth we weave. I’ve gathered a big selection of yarns including different types of wool, cotton, linen, silk, alpaca, nettle, cotlin, jute, bamboo, paper and more which means there will be lots of scope to experiment with different textures and patterns.
You’ll go home with the samples you’ve woven during the day, information sheets about natural yarns and weaving basics and lots of inspiration to take forward. You might even get the weaving bug and decide to join our weekly Monday evening classes for the 10-week autumn term.
19 July, 10am - 4.30pm, £140
Cockpit Studios, 18-22 Creekside, Deptford, SE8 3DZ
Cockpit Deptford Open Studios - Summer 2025
Over the weekend of 13-15 June, the studios at Cockpit in Deptford will be welcoming visitors behind the scenes.
Come and explore a brilliant range of crafts and meet more than 80 makers working with ceramics, leather, metal, stone, wood and of course textiles. It’s a great opportunity to see ancient and modern skills in action, talk to the makers and maybe buy or commission beautiful pieces for yourself.
I’ll be showing my latest collection of British wool blankets and cushions – perfect for cooler summer evenings and year-round cosiness. We can talk about the materials, the looms, colour, pattern and texture, and if you’re interested in learning to weave or developing your skills I can share information about my workshops and weekly classes.
We also have a lovely café on site and if the weather is good you can sit in the garden and relax between studio visits.
Changes Ahead
For the last couple of years I’ve been very happy to be a tutor at Handweavers Studio and Gallery in Finsbury Park. I’ve been a tutor for their weekly weaving sessions and I’ve delivered workshops and an artist talk, however… Handweavers is moving to Dorset in June.
Training, developing and coaching people has been core to my career for nearly 30 years now and the idea of not being a tutor anymore wasn't appealing, so I’ve made the decision to go solo. I’ve acquired some table looms (8 shaft Ashfords), I’ve gathered some lovely weavers and from June I’ll be hosting weekly weaving classes in Deptford. As the summer holidays are fast approaching we’re starting with a 5 week run of Monday evening classes and each weaver will be allocated a loom to work on for the 5 weeks (to use at the studio during classes). There’s currently one space left if you’re quick.
Over the summer I’m planning a one-day workshop (for adults) focusing on a range of natural materials, exploring their characteristics, how to identify them and how they affect the finished cloth, and then in the autumn the plan is to return to Monday evening classes for a whole 10 week term.
If you’re a beginner, a bit rusty or if you’d like to focus on a specific technique and you’d like to know more please contact me direct.
The Cockpit Edit for London Craft Week
I'll be taking part in 'The Cockpit Edit' our first-ever selling exhibition as part of London Craft Week from 12-16 May at Cockpit Bloomsbury, WC1N 2NP.
Visitors will be able to discover over 100 incredible objects from fine jewellery and textiles to ceramic, glass, and wood vessels to contemporary sculpture and wearable art objects - each item will be available to purchase alongside demonstrations by makers working in more than a dozen craft disciplines.
Some of the objects will also be on show during Bloomsbury Open Studios from 5-8 June and in the meantime they’ll be in the online shop. Pulling together a beautifully curated selection of objects, the team have created our first ever online store - each piece is listed along with information about its creation and its creator, it’s an online box of treats on the Cockpit website.