Meet the Makers: Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza

Meet embroiderers Lisa Mattock, Mary Brown and Eranga Bandaranayake who will be teaching expert embroidery skills at 7 Clovelly Road as part of the Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza.

When the collaborators at 7 Clovelly Road created their blank space for short term rentals, the plan was always to bring together a community for design, art, fashion and workshops. This year, the 7 Clovelly Road team has put together its first ever event for Sydney Craft Week, tapping into the resurgence of interest in the gentle art of embroidery.

“I love how all comers can get something out of this super creative craft form,” says Kiran (one of the collaborators at 7 Clovelly Road). “You need only basic equipment, and the sky’s the limit when it comes to the design or style of embroidery you can create. During these stressful times, it’s really nice to slow down and focus on a ‘mindful’ activity like this.”

Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza will showcase the skill of four expert embroidery teachers, each with their own unique style. There are many opportunities to learn from this inspiring group with everything from a few hours beginner ‘dip your toe into the water’ class to a two-day stump work workshop. The space will also feature an embroidery exhibition with some works for sale and a stash shop for those looking for interesting bits and bobs for their own projects.

Love Pouch, Lisa Mattock. Image courtesy of the artist.

Forage by Lisa Mattock

foragebylisamattock.com.au

Forage by Lisa Mattock is about seeking out reclaimed and vintage textile treasures and upcycling them into beautiful pieces that speak to the soul of the stitcher.

Forage are devotees of the art of slow stitching, embracing the idea of slowing down, and recognising the practical beauty of reclaiming, reusing and repurposing; enjoying the moment among friends and sharing the delight that breathing new life into old things can bring.

Lisa’s popular classes and workshops embrace the art of slow stitching, which is anchored in the “make do and mend” and “waste not, want not” ethos of yesteryear. It is a nod to generations who came before, when reusing and recycling were both necessary and admirable.

Slow stitching is not a complicated process relying on fancy, perfectly executed stitches and fastidious neatness, but rather, an embrace of the timeworn nature of our materials, and the individuality of our stitching methods. Simplicity and care are the keys.

About Lisa Mattock

The groundwork for Forage was laid by a long and varied career in the creative industries. Lisa’s expertise as a textile artist, florist, food stylist, visual merchandiser, and with her
 own upmarket florist and homewares store in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, combined with her long-standing passions for vintage fabrics, recycling, and embroidery made Forage a natural evolution.

Through workshops, events and collaborations with local designers, Lisa gets to follow and share her twin passions of discovering and collecting reclaimed fabrics and embellishments, and creating intricate layered textile artworks.

For Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza, Lisa will be delivering:

1 day Slow Stitching 101 Workshop aimed at the novice.

1 day Woodland Themed Workshop during which participants will make a ‘mushroom’ panel for a larger quilt or special project.

1 evening Craft Up Late Workshop Slow Stitch Christmas ornaments

Moon Woman, Mary Brown. Image courtesy of the artist.

Mary Brown Designs

www.marybrowndesigns.com

About Mary Brown Designs:

Mary was a Visual Arts teacher in Sydney Catholic Senior Colleges for over 25 years. She specialised in drawing, oil and acrylic painting, relief printing, etching and screen printing. At the end of the 1990s she became increasingly interested in textile art which led her to England in 2000–2001 to do the Certificated Course at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace.

In her own creative practice today, Mary works across many fields of embroidery, but on graduating from the RSN, she was so enamoured with metal thread embroidery that she returned to the UK and Europe for another long stint to research this field of embroidery. Her book on Goldwork Embroidery was published in 2007.

Mary is currently an accredited tutor and judge for the Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW Inc and was a sessional lecturer in the Fashion and Textile Department at the University of Technology, Sydney from 2007–2017.

As well as designing and making, teaching and researching are part of Mary’s practice. In recent times, Mary has been curating exhibiting artist embroiderers.

For Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza, Mary will be delivering:

One 2 day Goldwork Appliqué Workshop

For this workshop Mary has designed a single flower within a landscape which is worked with surface stitching and goldwork embroidery techniques. It is a jewellery–like appliqué which will look so sparkly on a coat lapel, pocket or handbag.

It would be advantageous to have had a little experience in handling a needle and thread but the techniques are not difficult even though goldwork looks daunting. It is simply all about couching over solid metal threads with a sewing thread or cutting hollow metal threads and threading them up as you would a bead. Mary will share every little ‘trick of the trade’ with workshop participants.

1 evening Craft Up Late Workshop – Moon Woman Appliqué

Mary has taken a detail from one of her larger works for the participant to embroider as a possible appliqué for a garment. She refers to the motif as ‘Moon Woman’. There are two surface stitching techniques that will be learnt in this workshop and a sequin technique that may be used around the circular face. This workshop is for an absolute beginner! 

Bridal Veil, Eranga Bandaranayake. Image courtesy of the artist.

ERA By Eranga

erabyeranga.com/

About Era By Eranga

Sydney based Fashion and Textile designer Eranga Bandaranayake founded ERA, her luxury fashion label in 2010. Originally from Sri Lanka where she was immensely inspired by a rich and vibrant culture, she graduated with a specialisation in Textile/Fashion. Migrating to Australia, she completed her Master in Design from the University of New South Wales with a passion for the art of embroidery and digital technology.

Inspired by nature and fascinated by structural forms and textures, Eranga frequently uses three-dimensional embroidery techniques and mixed media, utilizing tonal colours, attention to detail and exquisite hand craftsmanship. She has an avant-garde design style that evokes empowerment to the wearer while testing the barriers and boundaries of the modern world of fashion design.

Eranga has won several awards for her embroidery work, including the prestigious Hand and Lock Bronze award for the Prize for Embroidery, which she has won three times. The jury for this award is composed of the embroidery world’s elite from London College of Fashion, Royal school of Needlework, Embroiders Guild and V&A Museum.

For Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza, Eranga will be delivering:

1 day Workshop - Lace appliquéd bridal veil

Learn the techniques from a professional and an award-winning textile artist who explores creative embroidery and embellishment techniques for application in couture, bridal and costume industries.

This workshop will provide you with individual guidance to create a bridal veil with a custom lace design. You will be given a selection of bridal laces that you can manipulate and appliqué onto your veil. You may also use your own fabric from a family wedding lace and create a lovely treasure to be!

1 day Workshop – Embellished hair fascinator

This workshop will provide you with individual guidance to create a custom hair fascinator with a contemporary-led design. You will be given a selection of fabric and embellishments to create your own wedding headband, cocktail hat or a fascinator for any other occasion. You may also use your own material to create a matching hair accessory for your selected special outfit!

1 Evening Craft Up Late Workshop – Embellished shoe clip

This evening workshop will provide you with individual guidance to create a custom shoe clip. You may select your preferred colour palette & material to create a stunning three-dimensional lace work that can be used as a shoe clip, hair clip or even a wrist corsage!

 

MORE DETAILS

Click here for Workshop times: Hoop La Embroidery Extravaganza