Fabric Journals & More
Ro Bruhn
This workshop is all about having fun creating a fabric journal.
Using new and recycled fabrics, old clothing, bands and cuffs from clothing, doilies, old lace, scraps, clothing labels, ephemera, sari silks, yarns, buttons, broken jewellery, found objects, plastic disposable plates, paint swatches, tea bag packets, anything that you can stitch in by hand or machine.
This journal will become a place to keep all of your ‘don’t want to throw away’ treasures. It can also be used to sketch in, write poetry or quotes or as a travel journal or a place for all of your textile samples. A special place to visit for reminders of happy days. By the end of the workshop you will have the cover made and at least four pages, attached into the spine of the cover, some may have theirs completed. It’s not about the speed, it’s about the journey.
This is a project you can keep adding to for years. Paper pages can also be added to give your journal a firmer shape. You can paint, draw or collage these pages or even stitch or stick fabric to them. Let your imagination run wild. Have fun.
Three words describe Nicola Brown’s textile practice: simple, natural, crafted.
She harnesses the natural dye in leaves, bark, seed pods and onion skins to create lasting prints on handmade felt, wool, silk, linen and upcycled clothing—in a health-conscious and environmentally mindful way, without using harsh chemicals.
Since starting to develop a sustainable way of working, Nicola has planted over 13,500 trees on her rural Irish property and laid out large print and natural dye borders. These support a diverse range of butterflies, insects, birds and mammals which help convey the wider ecological aspect of her practice.
Nicola’s primary focus is on sustainable, intuitive eco printing—helping students move from confusion to confidence while creating beautiful, meaningful textiles, time after time.
