Workshops and Talks 2025 / 2026
I can bring the following workshops to your textile group with the exact content being adjusted to fit the groups needs and interests. Please contact me at admin@leahhiggins.co.uk to discuss and book.
Colour Play: Low-Tech Screen Printing with Temporary Resists
(2 or 3 days, maximum 12 students)
In this workshop you will learn how to predict and control colour when using Procion dyes before experimenting with a range of simple screen printing techniques to create your own palette of fabric from your own source of inspiration.
The techniques covered will include open screening for both clean and streaky colour, working with paper, mesh and string resists, working with masking tape resists and breakdown printing where thickened dyes are used as a temporary resist. You will also have the opportunity to use thermofax screens to add detail to your printed fabrics. The workshop is suitable for beginners and for those who want better control of their screen printing outcomes.
I provide all the dyes needed for the workshop along screens and squeegees. A student requirement list will be supplied when the workshop is booked. Students will need to bring their own pre-prepared fabric or can buy from me.
Fee = £350 per day + 45p per mile fuel allowance + hotel (Premier Inn standard) if overnight stay is required.
Colour and Colour Blending
(1 day, maximum 16 students)
A deep dive into colour, and developing colour families, in which you will start your own colour diary and use thermofax screens to print a piece of fabric in your chosen colours.
Using thickened Procion MX dyes and working onto pre-prepared cotton fabric pieces you will create colour wheels between two ‘yellows’, two ‘reds’ and two ‘blues’, gradations from dark to light in individual colours and examples of muddying colours by adding small amounts of black and dark brown. With support you will isolate two colours in your own source of inspiration, learn to how to blend those colours and how to create your own colour family based on your those colours. You will print a piece of pre-prepared cotton fabric using thickened dyes and thermofax screens showcasing your colour family.
I provide all the dyes needed for the workshop along with a materials pack (at a cost of £12 per student) that includes all the pre-prepared cotton fabrics they will use during the workshop. A student requirement list will be supplied when the workshop is booked.
Fee = £350 + 45p per mile fuel allowance + hotel (Premier Inn standard) if overnight stay is required.
Dyeing to Begin
(1 day, maximum 16 students)
A colourful introduction to dyeing beautiful cloth without mess and without special equipment. This workshop is suitable for absolute beginners and for those who want to increase their stash of beautiful hand dyed fabrics.
Following a brief introduction to colour you will use Procion dyes and an exchange dyeing technique to dye a 15 part colour wheel. You will use gradation dyeing in a colour of your choice to dye 6 fabrics that range from dark to light. And you will learn how to use small containers and layer dyeing to dye 9 pieces (or more) of wonderful multicoloured textural fabric.
I will provide all the dyes needed for the workshop. Each student will need to bring a minimum of 30 fat quarters of white fabric (cotton, silk and linen are suitable) and can bring threads to dye along with their fabrics. A student requirement list will be provided when the workshop is booked.
NOTE: The venue MUST have access to lots of hot water.
Fee = £450 + 45p per mile fuel allowance + hotel (Premier Inn standard) if overnight stay is required.
(My fee is higher for this workshop because of the amount of dyes used.)
All workshops run from 10 am to 4 pm each day unless agreed otherwise. Access to the room is needed from 9am to 4.30pm to allow for set up and clear up. Venues must have at least two sinks suitable for washing dye pots, screens etc along with suitable flooring.
A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to book a workshop with the remainder plus mileage (and accommodation) payable on the day.
I will bring a selection of dyes, auxiliary chemicals, screens and squeegees with me for sale along with copies of my books and hand dyed and printed fabrics.
Talks:
My Road to Ruins and Beyond
This talk covers my creative journey from my first patchwork quilt to developing my Ruins series of abstract art quilts and beyond. I talk about the inspirations behind my work and why the process of creating, whether printing fabric or quilting, is important to me.
I constantly update the talk to include my most recent quilts, exhibitions and major events. I bring a selection of quilts with me, including some of my larger pieces.
Understanding Colour
Do you love adding colour to fabric, thread, yarn, or fibre, but find you don’t always get the colours, or results you expected?
In 'Understanding Colour' I start by looking at what colour actually is and how we see it. I explores the differences between paints and dyes identifying their advantages and their limitations. I explains how traditional colour theory, developed for paints, must be translated into colour practice when working with dyes and textile. And I look at how primary colours in colour theory are replaced co-primary colours in the real world and what that means for us when we are working with paints and dyes.
Both talks are 45-60 minutes long. I can provide my own projector but do need a screen or wall to project on.
Fee = £150 + 45p per mile fuel allowance + hotel (Premier Inn standard) if overnight stay is required.
A non-refundable deposit of £75 is required to book a talk with the remainder plus mileage (and accommodation) payable on the day.