Textile Art Summer school with Ellie Hipkin
A Week of Creative Play 🎨✨
Come and spend a blissful week immersing yourself in the world of textile mixed media art! This isn’t a rigid, structured course—it’s all about creative freedom, playful experimentation, and discovering new ways to bring texture, colour, and stitch together in your own unique way.
Across five relaxed and inspiring days, you’ll explore a variety of mixed media techniques, layering paint, fabric, and embroidery to create beautifully textured abstract artworks. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned creative, this summer school is your chance to experiment, build confidence, and spark new ideas—all with Ellie’s guidance and encouragement along the way.
What will we cover?
Each morning, Ellie will introduce a new technique with a demonstration, then the rest of the day is yours to explore, play, and make it your own. There’s no pressure to get it ‘right’—just a chance to experiment, combine ideas, and build up a collection of mini artworks. Throughout the week, you’ll be able to keep adding to your pieces, layering techniques and developing your own artistic voice.
Here’s a little taste of what we’ll be diving into:
• Textile Painting – Abstract mark-making and blending paint with stitch for a dynamic finish.
• Textural Free-Motion Embroidery – Adding movement and depth with expressive stitched lines.
• Nature-Inspired Layers – Exploring ways to incorporate natural textures and motifs into your work.
• Light Moulding Paste / expandable paint – Creating stunning 3D textures on fabric for extra dimension.
• Heat Treatment Techniques – Experimenting with heat-distressed fabrics for unique textural effects.
• Hand Embroidery for Texture – Simple stitches to add a tactile, raised finish to your designs.
How will I be taught?
In our light and airy studio by a friendly, local artist.
Do I need any previous experience or skills?
This Summer School is suitable for complete beginners or those with some experience of textile art.
Are materials provided? Is there anything I need to source myself?
All materials will be provided but please bring an apron to protect your clothes.
Optional: You may wish to bring a sketchbook if you would like to keep your week’s work in a sketchbook format. You are also welcome to bring your own hand embroidery threads or botanicals you would like to use for printing.
What will I take home with me?
By the end of the week, you’ll have six beautiful mini artworks – ready to frame, display, or compile into a sketchbook of ideas for future projects.
This is your chance to step away from the everyday, connect with like-minded creatives, and lose yourself in a week of artistic exploration. No pressure, no expectations – just pure creative joy!
Refreshments
Drinks and biscuits will be available but we recommend that you bring a packed lunch with you.
What people say about Ellie’s textile art workshops:
“Relaxing and informative 2 day class with Ellie Hipkin textile artist. On the first day we learnt how to paint the canvas, and use leaves and grasses to create a pattern. On day two we added free motion embroidery inspired by botanicals – leaves and grasses. Very clear instruction and felt fully supported.”
“Two day textiles course with Ellie Hipkin. Fantastic course- great venue, super materials (all included in the course price) and very good atmosphere. Ellie is an inspirational teacher. We learned several techniques and had the opportunity to experiment with fabrics, paints, found objects and machine embroidery. Highly recommend this course and the venue.”
Angie
“Yesterday was textile art with Ellie Hipkin, painting fabric then using free motion embroidery to accent the picture, everything we needed was supplied. Ellie explained and demonstrated each step very clearly and considering I had never used fabric paints or machine embroidery – thanks to Ellie’s endless patience – I am so pleased with my piece of textile art. I keep looking at it thinking did I really make that? What a brilliant day!”
Tina
Photography
During all of our workshops photographs are taken for promotional purposes only. Please make us aware at the time of booking if you would prefer not to be included.
Tutor
Ellie fell in love with textile art at school and was drawn back to it after 15 years studying and working in fashion design. Inspired by the calming power of nature on the South Downs and the Sussex coastline, Ellie paints directly onto raw canvas, cottons and silks. She uses natural finds gathered on family walks - such as grasses, seed heads and feathers - to add monoprinting effects, then uses free motion embroidery to add a final layer of texture and detail. Ellie loves sharing these skills in her textile art courses. She sells her own artwork through www.elliehipkinart.com and runs Flourish Textile Art hub at www.flourish-hub.com.
