16th & 17th May 2026
Find out more about our tutors and book onto a creative workshop as part of our annual Textile Festival!
FOUND OBJECT WEAVING
Weave onto and around found objects with fine art weaver and Red Lane Mill studio holder, David Fox!
In this workshop you will be weaving onto or around found objects such as slate, wood, tools or found objects to create a woven art sculpture to take home and frame. You will have the option of weaving different woven structures onto your chosen object and play with a varied choice of yarns.
Saturday 16th May | 10:00 – 12:00 | £25
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
NATURALLY DYED TEXTILES - SILK SCARF & COTTON PURSE
Reconnect with the land around you in this inspiring creative session, led by natural dye specialist Olivia AKA Suspended in Sunbeam.
Discover a rainbow of vibrant colour locked within a smattering of petals or a handful of wood. Together we will discover the ancient beauty of nature’s palette, harnessing centuries-old practices to extract colour from plants, minerals and insects.
This session will be focused on creating a Naturally Dyed silk scarf and cotton purse, perfect for gifting to a loved one, or cherishing yourself.
Saturday 16th May | 10:00 – 14:00 | £50
Suitable for ages 18+.
Dobby Loom Weaving Taster Workshop
Join our resident weaving teacher Agnis during Threads Textile Festival for a short intro to weaving on a traditional Dobby Loom!
You will be in a small group giving plenty of opportunity to ask questions and receive 1 to 1 support throughout the workshop. You will be using stick shuttles during this workshop and will be able to able to take your own small piece of woven material away with you at the end of the session.
Saturday 16th May | 10:00 – 12:30 | £40
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Upcycled Fabric Scrappy Beetle Bug Making
Don’t throw away your fabric scraps! Instead, turn them into scrappy beetles and bugs to really snazz up a wall.
In this beginner friendly workshop, Scarlett will be showing you how to form a bug-like shape using only fabric scraps, wire, thread and hot glue!
Saturday 16th May | 10:30 – 12:30 | £25
Suitable for ages 16+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Embellished Florals
Join artist Jessica Grady for a colourful and creative workshop exploring floral designs using mixed media embellishments and hand stitch.
You will be working on your own embellished floral motif design using Jessica’s samples and ideas to inspire you. Jessica will show you how you can utlise a range of mixed media materials to create your floral design including recycled sequins, washers and sponges, as well as more traditional beads, buttons and embellishments.
Saturday 16th May | 13:30 – 16:00 | £35
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Colourful Weaving
A fun weaving workshop with tutor Agnis Smallwood, where you will learn how to weave and experiment with colour!
You will create your own pair of pot holders or coffee mug rugs or plant pot mats, it’s up to you how you will use your gorgeous weaving.
Saturday 16th May | 15:00 – 17:00 | £35
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Grenfell Memorial Quilt Drop-in
Join us at Threads for a Grenfell Memorial Quilt drop-in workshop. This workshop coincides with our current exhibition For the Love of Textiles, which features a 3.5m square section of the Quilt, collaboratively created by 68 artists from across the the UK.
Join Jane Thakoordin, one of the artists sewing for justice (the lead artist on the ‘Do Caged Birds Dream of Flying’ quilt section featured in the Gallery) to grow the Grenfell Memorial Quilt to its desired size of 220ft x 72ft – the dimensions of the Grenfell Tower.
Saturday 16th May | 15:00 – 17:00 | FREE
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times
Needle Felted Fibre Art Toadstools
Create your own 3D toadstool scene through the wonderful art of needle-felting with Sophie of The Peg Loomer.
You’ll use British wool and naturally dyed wool to felt your toadstool onto fabric. You’ll learn the basics of needle felting, from the best tools and what wool to use. Plus shading and highlighting techniques, and how to add a 3D element to your creation to really bring it to life. You’ll be provided with an embroidery hoop to display your artwork in, or you can take it home to frame it if you prefer.
Sunday 17th May | 10:00 – 12:00 | £30
Suitable for ages 18+.
Mindful Doodle Stitching
Join artist Jessica Grady for this fun hand stitch workshop will introduce you to the wonderful world of doodle cloths.
Mindful embroidery is proven to help with relaxation and doodle cloths can help you to achieve this, as well as being a creative tool to explore hand embroidery.
Sunday 17th May | 10:30 – 13:00 | £35
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Textile Coiled Basketry
Make a coiled basket or coaster using your own choice of yarn, fabric and colours with Dee Sayce.
Make your own coiled basketry item by binding and sewing thread, yarn and/or fabric around, core material. Learn a range of techniques and stitches from around the world to make a variety of patterns, experiment with colour and material combinations. Depending on the desired size of your coiled basket, you may need to complete it at home.
Sunday 17th May | 10:30 – 16:00 | £55
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Drawing with Thread Embroidered Photography
Join For The Love Of Textiles artist Zoe Boswell and draw with thread to add meaning, colour, and pattern to photographs. Become inspired by her story and work currently on display within the Gallery.
Learn the core skills of embroidery and draw out your design to be applied to your photographs. There will be photographs and postcards provided but please bring copies of your own images too. This process works best on a thicker paper rather than regular printer paper.
Sunday 17th May | 13:30 – 15:30 | £30
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Stitched Charms
Join recent Ones to Watch exhibitor Reece Kelly and create Georgian era eye charms to take home, or add to their exhibited collection.
During this workshop, participants will learn the history behind a lost fashion trend from the Georgian era, and how this lost piece of history has informed artist Reece Kelly’s practice and the eye charms that appear in their work.
Sunday 17th May | 14:00 – 16:00 | £20
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Dobby loom weaving taster workshop
Join our resident weaving teacher Agnis during Threads Textile Festival for a short intro to weaving on a traditional Dobby Loom!
Ever wondered what it would be like to weave on a loom? Join Agnis in the Weaving Shed during the Threads Textile Festival and have a go at weaving on the gorgeous dobby looms at Sunny Bank Mills.
Sunday 17th May | 14:30 – 17:00 | £40
Suitable for ages 14+. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
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