Spring in a Vase, textile artwork with Sonya Else
Saturday 10th July and Sunday 11th July 9.30am-4.30pm
Edward River Art Society Sunday School
Celebrate the beauty and freshness of spring in this inspiring two-day textile art workshop with artist Sonya Else. Combining fabric, stitching, texture and colour, you'll create your own beautiful floral textile artwork, Spring in a Vase, capturing the charm and movement of a garden in full bloom.
Discover how to transform fabric and thread into a richly textured composition, bringing flowers and foliage to life through creative layering, expressive stitching and the clever use of colour. With a particular focus on creating three-dimensional visual effects, Sonya will guide you through techniques that give your artwork a wonderful sense of depth, form and movement.
Throughout the workshop, you'll explore:
Thread painting: Using free-machine stitching to build colour, detail and texture, creating beautiful painterly effects with thread.
Textured fabric surfaces: Experimenting with fabric manipulation and layering to create tactile surfaces that add richness and dimension to your artwork.
Colour with Derwent Inktense pencils: Discovering how to enhance your fabric and stitching with colour, adding subtle shading, highlights and vibrant details.
Creating three-dimensional effects: Exploring the interplay of colour, texture, light and shadow to give flowers, foliage and the vase a convincing sense of depth and form.
Under Sonya's guidance, you'll bring these techniques together to create a unique textile artwork filled with the colours, textures and delicate details of spring.
This workshop offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the creative possibilities of textile art, develop your skills and enjoy the process of bringing a floral composition to life through fabric and stitch.
Important preparation: Some preparation will be required before attending the workshop to ensure participants can progress towards completing their artwork over the two days. Full preparation instructions are provided in the additional workshop notes.
How to book
Bookings are open now: https://www.trybooking.com/DRQUR
Pricing:
$200 per person - Non Members
$170 per person - for ERAS Members
or $195 become a ERAS member (includes workshop ticket)
Please note that this workshop is has a maximum of 12 places, so bookings are essential.
About the workshop
Edward River Art Society Sunday School
Saturday 10th July and Sunday 11th July 9.30am-4.30pm
Equipment and Materials Required:
Requirements:
60cm – background fabric (amount may vary for directional prints)
15cm – Table surface fabric
50cm – Backing fabric
Flower and foliage fabric, use scraps from your stash, or buy 10cm
Tulips — red
Echinacea — pink
Foliage — sage green, bright green, mid green, bottle green
Vase fabric — use white, cream or calico if colouring with Inktense pencils, or choose a printed or coloured fabric of your choice
Wadding or Stiff Pellon – cut to size 16” x 21”
25cm x 75cm - Applique paper (Vlisofix)
Derwent brand Inktense Pencils (I have some available to use for the workshop)
Threads – Bring a range of colours and types, including variegated, rayon, and 30–50wt threads. Refer to photo for colours
Hint – If possible, bring your thread collection.
Tools and Notions for the Workshop
· Sewing Machine with Free Motion Capability: (A machine that can perform free motion stitching is necessary for creating detailed and textured effects on your applique work).
· Machine Needles (Size 80 or 90) Bring extra just in case
· Small Sharp Pointed Scissors
· Extra Bobbins (Having additional bobbins pre-wound with thread will save time, For example: cream, beige, brown, or black)
· Pins
· Glue stick
Equipment and Materials Else will provide:
· A doily will also be provided for each participant.
· Derwent brand Inktense Pencils (I have some available to use for the workshop.
· Workshop kit (see below):
Additional Notes or Requests:
A workshop kit contains:
Pre-stiffened fabric for 3-D appliqué
Yellow and rust-coloured wooland fibres for creating fabric texture
Centre flower fabrics (fabric making)
15 cm of water-soluble wash-away fabric and tulle for making fabric
Preparation:
3D applique Templates
Trace all the templates from the 2 provided sheets (from the PDF doc. Attached) onto the applique paper. Then iron them onto your fabrics as directed below:
· Flower stems/leaves – (bright green)
· Vase/top of Vase – (white/calico or choice of fabric)
· Echinacea – petals (pink), stem/leaves (mid green)
· Tulip – petals (red), stem/leaves (bottle green)
Cut out all template shapes along the traced outlines
Billy button stems – (sage green) directed at workshop
All leftover traced templates will be used during the workshop for the fabric making process
Background and Backing
Pre-cut the background to measure 23” x 17 ½ “
Pre-cut the backing to measure 23” x 17 ½ “
Pre-cut the wadding to measure 21” x 16 “
Pre-cut the table fabric to measure 5 ¼ ” x 17 ½ “
Target Audience:
Intermediate/Advanced
About the artist
Sonya Else is a textile artist whose nature-inspired work explores the beauty, textures and intricate details of the natural environment. Combining hand-dyeing, free-machine stitching, painting, drawing and fabric manipulation, she creates richly textured artworks that reflect her connection to the natural world.
Through her exploration of different fibres, materials and surface treatments, Sonya creates tactile pieces that invite curiosity and closer observation. Her creative process is intuitive and experimental, allowing each artwork to evolve as she responds to subtle shifts in colour, texture and light across stitched surfaces.
Inspired by the diversity and unpredictability of nature, her work captures the organic forms and unexpected details found in bushland, coastal landscapes and quiet undergrowth. The interplay of layered fabrics, stitching and colour brings depth and individuality to each piece.
Through her art, Sonya hopes to foster a deeper connection with the natural environment, encouraging viewers to pause, look more closely and appreciate the often-overlooked beauty and complexity of the world around them.
Workshop Cancellation and Refund Policy
Workshop places are booked and paid for well in advance, often up to 12 months ahead, and fees are set based on the artist’s agreed charges and workshop costs. A minimum of 4 weeks notice of cancellation is required to receive a full refund.
Cancellations received less than one month before the workshop are not eligible for a refund.
Participants may, however, transfer or sell their place to another person. Edward River Art Society is happy to assist by promoting the available place through our networks where possible.
Exceptional circumstances: In exceptional circumstances, such as serious illness, injury or an accident, the Committee may consider a refund or other arrangement on a case-by-case basis, at its discretion. Supporting information may be requested where appropriate.
The consideration of exceptional circumstances does not guarantee a refund.
We appreciate your understanding that these arrangements are necessary to meet our commitments to visiting artists and to ensure workshops can continue to be offered at sustainable prices.
