Stories of India through Fabric and Stitch

Join our workshop to see a variety of beautiful Indian traditional fabrics and inspired by them try some stitching of your own
About this Event

Stories of India through fabric and stitch is a workshop plus+plus! Join us to pore over a variety of beautiful Indian traditional fabrics and then, inspired by them, try some stitching of your own. The workshop will be led by Sally-Ann Arts. We will be joined by Joanna Motion who has donated a collection of Indian fabric to the gallery,. So we will spend the morning studying the fabrics and hearing stories about the lands they are from and how Joanna's family collected them. In the afternoon, Sally-Ann will talk us through different options for the stitching. Alternatively you could design your own fabric to work on later.

Be inspired and try your skills

This event is part of our occasional series exploring different aspects of sewing and environment, together with our community. Usually we have held drop-in and practical sewing, stitching, mending, remaking worshops. These take place round our kitchen table at GroundWork and are very informal and enjoyable. This is a special day workshop where we can really immerse ourselves in the experience and learn some new skills.

Joanna's fabric collection

Joanna Motion has brought us a collection of historic handloom fabrics - silks and cottons - characteristic from many regions in India. In glorious colours the fabrics also often involve intricate stitching as well as block printed patterns. Joanna will talk to us about her family's involvement in India, where she was born and where she and her mother Zoe collected these many beautiful fabrics. We will be able to handle them and explore their different designs and patterns.

Joanna says:

"India is my birthplace – as it was for my mother and grandmother. The colours and textures of Indian fabrics were a rich part of family life then and ever since. I grew up in a society where textiles were often offered as gifts – a sari, a stole, a dress length – and where the dressing up box for children’s play was full of old dance costumes and outgrown evening wear. Marvellous stuff!
England is where I came to school when I was eight. My working life, which has taken me all over the world, has centred around advocacy for universities and cultural organisations. In the early eighties I looked after communications for the University of East Anglia. Since 2011 I have been a consultant with More Partnership, the international fundraising consultancy, working with clients ranging from Glyndebourne Opera to the London School of Economics.
Happy to be back in Norfolk, I now live in Reepham in a house full of colour and pattern."

Stitch and sew with Sally-Ann Arts

Sally-Ann has a lifetime of sewing experience and trained in textile arts at Norwich University of the Arts and Trinity St David’s . Workshops with Sally-Ann are all about being both creative and resourceful, sharing simple skills so that we can be both more economical and more environmental. But it is also a question of bringing and sharing your own experience and skill so that we can all enjoy learning new things together.