Workshops

We get very excited about craft workshops at Fabric Nation.  So much so that we also run Crafty Pint, regular workshops in your pub with local designers. Few things are more inspiring than sharing skills and materials and seeing a group of people take these in all sorts of amazing directions.  We love seeing all the varied things people make at our workshops and their own creative interpretations of the different crafts we teach. 

Fabric Nation workshops 

Gillian has developed her own popular series of workshops, exploring print, textile and sewing techniques.  Her popular brooch workshop has been commissioned for the Vintage Festival, Jubilee Pageant and the Thames Festival.  Gillian is at home with running workshops with her team at large events as well as smaller occasions, and can adapt workshops for short and sweet drop-in sessions and longer tutored days or half-days.  She is an experienced workshop facilitator, working with children and adults of all ages.  Her workshops are filled with creativity and her amazing collection of vintage and contemporary fabrics and design books. 

Fabric Nation's workshop commissions have included workshops at Vintage at Goodwood, Southbank, the Eco Design Fair, Indietracks, Thames Festival, Wandsworth Artists Open House, Tooting Transition Town, Furzedown Festival, Crafty Fox Market, London FolkFest, WonderHill Market, Sprout Arts, We Make, Craft Central, Got Craft?, Lavish Habit, the Barbican and Kensington Palace.  Gillian also runs workshops for local WI groups, cafes and shops, hen and birthday parties and can design bespoke workshops for your event.  Workshop commissions can also include dressing venues and personalised lucky bags for participants and collaborations with her textile collective, the Seaside Sisters.  

Have a look at some examples of Gillian's workshops below, or contact Gillian to find out more about commissioning workshops.

Vintage inspired printing

Take inspiration from our collection of vintage fabrics, tea towels and mid-century modern textile design books to design and print your own fabric, tea towels, napkins, hankies, or tote bags. 

Learn how to design and cut your own lino block pattern and then print your design onto fabric to create your own handprinted textiles.  

This workshop can be adapted to different themes for special events and exhibitions, for example this year we have been printing Jubilee and Olympic flags!  See pictures from previous workshops here and here.  Take a peek at one of Gillian's workshops in action in this film made during her Seaside Sisters residency at the LV21 lightship. 

Fabric brooches and rosettes

Choose from our stash of vintage and contemporary textiles, team up with vintage buttons and trims, snip, stitch and create.  This is a great beginners sewing workshop, people can find out how easily you can hand sew and turn scraps of fabric into beautiful accessories to wear as brooches, a corsage or on a hair slide.  Simple sewing techniques make this workshop accessible to all ages, and combined with Gillian's stunning fabric collection, participants are free to explore textile design and learn how to use different fabrics. Participants can get really creative in this workshop, it's great for all ages and parties. Pictures from previous workshops are here.  And you can take a spin with our dancing rosettes dancing here...

Christmas cards and gift wrap

Design and print Christmas motifs onto cards and paper and embellish with rubber stamps and glitter.  Can be adapted to print onto fabric and sew into garlands or textile baubles.  Take inspiration from our vintage christmas cards and decorations to design your own lino block to print up a set of cards and matching gift wrap and tags. This is  a really popular and fun workshop and uses a modern version of lino that is durable and easy to use.  Suitable for beginners and all ages.  We also have a version for very little children than doesn't involve any cutting and lets them turn their drawings into prints. See pictures from last year's workshops here.

Bow ties

Sew a dapper bow tie from a wide choice of fabrics and wear it as a belt, hair decoration, or even as a bow tie! Learn different hand sewing stitches and how to attach the bow tie to a neat adjustable strap. Cute fun for boys and girls!

Bunting making

Home to the original bunting making parties, we bring our collection of spots, stripes, dots and prints to create cute bunting.  Perfect for festivals to decorate tents and wrap around friends!

Souvenir workshop

Working with Gillian's impressive collection of seaside souvenirs, this workshop looks at souvenir design and using a mix of print, applique and embroidery, participants create their own souvenir flags, handkerchiefs and pennants.  This is a lovely way to celebrate special events and locations.

Seasonal workshops

We also have a selection of seasonal workshops, for example xmas decorations, love tokens, easter egg cosies.  These family friendly workshops are a lovely way of celebrating our seasonal festivals. 

Upcycling plastic carrier bags

Turn the humble plastic carrier bag into your own works of art, decorations and jewellery.  We will show you how to recycle plastic carrier bags to create bunting, flags, pretty pompoms, garlands and corsages. Fun for all ages, and a great one for showing people how to make things of beauty from rubbish!

Crafty Pint

We organise regular social craft workshops for Crafty Pint, hosted at Tooting Tram and Social in south London and other venues around London.  Come  along to our friendly gatherings on your own or in a group, learn a new skill and  meet lovely, local creative people.  We invite different local tutors each month, promoting local creative industry, sharing skills, sipping fine ales and having fun!  Our monthly programme is available on our website and in December our Xmas Pint extravaganza returns where we take over the Tram & Social for a day of crafty fun making christmas presents, cards and decorations.