Sewing with Children

Judy Martin taught sewing to children on Friday August 28, 2026.  The free workshop was one of three two-hour events put on the the Little Current United Church as a kind of Art Camp.  The other two were painting and beading.   Cotton printed fabric, embroidery floss in many colours, and needles were donated by the local community for the children to use.  Six children attended, the youngest was 7 1/2 years but the others were around 10 years.  Four adults were also present and acted as assistants.       

We began by choosinig two fabrics and one skein of floss.  We cut a background shape out of one of the fabrics, and a smaller shape to layer on top of it from the second colour.  Most of the participants cut out circular shapes for the top cloth (applique).  In the example above, the yellow is the background shape and the red is the shape that was appliqued.

Skills: 

1  Cut a piece of embroidery floss the correct length for hand sewing, and then separate two strands out of the six strands as we only use two strands at a time.  Thread the needle and make a knot on the tail end.  Don't double this thread. 

2  Sew the two shapes together with the knot on reverse side.  Use the running stitch.

3. When complete, make a loop knot on the reverse side and cut the thread.

The next thing to do is to choose a third fabric to sew with a seam to the first fabric. Judy cut a green triangle for her 3rd fabric in the pictured example.  

Skills: 

1.  Place right sides together so that the edges line up.  Use pins to hold them together.

2.  Draw a seam line to make a guide to stitch into about 1/4 inch in from the edge.  Washable marker is a good tool for this.  

3.  Thread your needle with two strands of floss, and tie a knot at the end. 

4.  Use the running stitch and sew the two pieces together with a seam.

The final skill was the back stitch.  The back stitch makes a strong solid line on both sides of the cloth.  

The two hours spent with the children was very rewarding.

Hand sewing is much more complex than we realize.  Especially the knots!  

Judy wishes to thank Whitney Bruno, minister of Little Current United Church for inviting her to take part in this event.  

celebrating our circles series of workshops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judy Martin
Celebrating our Circles
A series of four one day workshops to celebrate the 45th anniversary
of the Canadian Embroidery Guild, London  1975 - 2016

September 20, 21, 22, 24 2016 in London Ontario Canada
Pictured are circles made using the bending stitch, the Kaitya from India, and two using the buttonhole stitch, inspired by contemporary Japanese artist, Junko Oki.  Other stitches in the workshops are: the reverse applique dot, the chemanthy and the one sided flat stitch used in Scandinavian sun and star flowers.

stitch collage workshop

Judy Martin taught a Stitch Collage at the library in Little Current, Manitoulin Island on Wednesday January 13.  All materials were provided, including vintage photo frames and plant dyed wool fabrics.  Most of the participants chose to work with raw edges rather than turned under.

Working with small bits of layered fabric lends itself to abstract art.

Judy Martin

Maureen Armstrong

Judy Kift

Waiting for more photos of finished collages and shall post them here.

stitch collage workshop

Wednesday January 13, 9 am - 4 pm.
Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands public Library,   Little Current, Manitoulin Island
free one day workshop for seniors

register at the library  50 Meridith Street West
705 368 2444
all supplies included

Meditation Panel Workshop Gros Morne, Newfoundland october 16-17-18 2015

Judy Martin is teaching Meditation Panels at Fibre Arts Newfoundland.
The three days are packed.

Day one:
bead stitch and introductions
looking  at the Manitoulin meditation panels
reverse applique
digital presentation of the archetypes
drawing
stitch and flip foundations

Day two:
show and tell of participant's work
eyelet stitch, stem stitch
digital presentation on how the meditation panels were constructed
making visualization foundations
quiet work
presentation of texture magic
hand stitching practice

Judy Martin showing her french knot sample in Newfoundland

Day three
more hand stitch practice
digital presentation on stitch
covering large areas with piecework
using the design wall
quiet work, quiet work
digital presentation of the instructor's own work
critique and plan what will happen next with your work

The Meditation Panels Workshop in Newfoundland this October

 Meditation Panels

This workshop introduces the archetypal symbols and shapes used around the world and across time.  These first shapes connect us without words to our spiritual need for ritual and are the inspirational basis for original and personally scaled meditation panels.  Hands on instruction in Judy’s improvisational methods of working over foundation cloth in combination with traditional hand stitched construction methods and hand embroidery will start participants on a project that will continue to nurture the maker over a period of months.

We will be guided by our sense of touch.  This is a quiet workshop, inspired by the successful Manitoulin Community Circle Project in which 149 women and men made several hand-stitched meditation panels for the local community during four years of weekly meetings.    

Judy Martin's workshop,  Meditation Panels, is a 3 day workshop offered at the conference in Newfoundland this coming October 16,  17 and 18.   Here is a link to the conference .  I can't give you a direct link to the workshop, so follow the links on the main page.   The organizers have put a supply list online, but it is incomplete.   They will be correcting it, but in the mean time, please use the information below.

Materials supplied by the instructor   

($46 )

Judy Martin is bringing the four original meditation panels from the Manitoulin Circle Project to this workshop in Newfoundland.  The opportunity to be close to and touch these inspiring hand stitched works of art is reason enough to take this workshop.

Each participant will take home five samples of specialized silk or cotton threads for hand stitching and at least two new needles.  Each participant will also receive a length of texture magic – a heat-shrink product, two metres of light weight foundation cloth, and a printed hand out.

Materials to be supplied by the student:
a)  Fabrics that you believe look good together.  Choose two to five. Please do not bring your whole stash.  Just bring approximately ½ metre lengths to the workshop.  Try to choose natural fibres – cotton, linen, silk, wool or re-cycled damask table linens.  Ensure that the weights of your chosen fabrics are similar.  Because we are stitching into them, choose solids rather than prints. The fabric can be re-purposed family clothing or domestic textiles or it can be brand new.
b)  cotton embroidery floss that co-ordinates with your fabrics.  (2-3 different skeins)
c)  sewing thread that co-ordinates with your fabrics (one spool)
d) sketchbook 
e) drawing and note taking kit - ball point pen, pencil, eraser and black permanent marker
f) a design cloth:  Find an old bed sheet for this.  You need a cloth that you can draw on.  This design cloth will not be included in the finished work but is important for the design process.  Minimum size about 40-48 inches square. 

The images in this post are of Siska Poenn's hand stitched meditation panel sampler.  Siska is one of the participants in Slow Stitch, weekly meetings in Judy Martin's home community on Manitoulin Island, Ontario Canada.

Workshops

Y-O-U and Hand Stitch

Use materials to their fullest potential.

Use slow and tender methods of construction and mark making through hand stitch.

Create artworks that relate to our contemporary world.

Personal story, contemporary fine art and archetypal first shapes are the pathways into a stitched artwork true to your own heart.  The meaning of the piece arrives through making and doing, through listening carefully to the materials you work with.

The title of this workshop references collage artist Hanna Hoch's advice to embroidery artists.  

"You crafts women, modern women, who feel that your spirit is in your work, who are determined to lay claim to your rights, who believe your feet are firmly planted in reality, at least Y-O-U should know that your embroidery work is a documentation of your own era"  (she said this in 1918)

Contemplative Stitch

This workshop introduces the archetypal symbols and shapes used around the world and across time.  These first shapes connect us without words to our spiritual need for ritual and are the inspirational basis for original and personally scaled meditation panels.  Hands on instruction in Judy’s improvisational methods of working over foundation cloth in combination with traditional hand stitched construction methods and hand embroidery will start participants on a project that will continue to nurture the maker over a period of months.

This is a quiet workshop.  We will be guided by our sense of touch.  It is inspired by the successful Manitoulin Community Circle Project in which 149 women and men made several hand-stitched meditation panels for the local community during four years of weekly meetings.     Suggested length is five days.

Lectures

Judy Martin’s lectures mix poetry, visual art theory, concern for the environment, and social revolution with her own personal life experience.   Each lecture is about 40 minutes in length and is supported with digital presentation and/or a show and tell of her large body of work.   

1.  Adventures with natural dyeing in northern Ontario                   
2.  Art and life are all mixed up
3.  Slow stitching as social change: the Manitoulin Circle Project

This page is Judy Martin's  only promotion.  
She is offering workshops using stitch until spring 2017, then she will be on sabbatical from teaching in order to produce her own body of work.  If you are interested in inviting Judy to your community to teach or speak,   please use the contact email and make an inquiry.   

Manitoulin Circle Project




Judy spoke about the
circle project and led a
workshop to participants. This was part of the regional conference
WORSHIP MATTERS, held in Little Current, Ontario September 27 - 30, 2010.

Slow Art

Workshop April 24, 25
St Lawrence College
Kingston

Through Fibreworks Kingston

The ideals and simplicity of
modernism combined with the
slowness of handstitch.

The Power and Beauty of Hand Stitched Textiles
Summer Workshop
Canadian Embroider's Guild
London, Ontario

June 2 - 6, 2008
The other teacher at this event
is Jane Dunnewold, a role model.

The Power and Beauty of
Hand Stitched Textiles

Workshop
Kingston Ontario
March 7 - 9 2008
Fibreworks

Pre-workshop homework
A ) Make a timeline of your life/art so far. Include the details of your own birth, location of that, your birth order within your family, and where you grew up. What are two key memories between age of 6 and 20? When did you first know you wanted to be an artist? Put in the practical dates like marriages, births of children and when you received various degrees. Give your exhibition history.

B) Research a textile artist that you admire. Describe her process and her work in words. Sketch some of it into your journal. List some of her titles. Underline those things about her work or herself that are the SAME as you.

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Batik class
Saturday Feb 9
Saturday Feb 16
Little Current Campus
Cambrian College
phone 705 368 3194 to register

I studied with Gasali Adeyemo, a talented Nigerian at the Surface Design Association conference in Kansas City during May 2007. Gasali used indigo dyes but I will be using Procion MX dyes in my class. A $15.00 supply fee payable to the instructor will provide all the supplies needed. Included will be cotton and silk fabric, wax, dye, raffia, threads, easy-carve block printing material and more.

Day one
Learn about the designs found in Adire cloth from Nigeria as well as other African textiles.
Make your own tool for applying wax.
Demo in how to apply the wax.
Make waxed fabric.
Learn about tie-dye around the world and in Nigeria in particular
Use raffia and beans to make tied designs
Use pleating and stitching
View Judy’s collection of African fabrics
Spend quiet time tying and stitching.

Homework: continue to tie and/or stitch

Day Two
Learn more about designs from Africa including block prints.
Dye yesterday’s waxed cloth
Dye those tied/stitched fabrics that are ready
Remove the wax and rinse out dyes
Dye all remaining cloth
Rinse out fabric

Batik class
October 20 and 21
Little Current Campus
Cambrian College
phone 705 368 3194 to register

I studied with Gasali Adeyemo, a talented Nigerian at the Surface Design Association conference in Kansas City during May 2007. Gasali used indigo dyes but I will be using Procion MX dyes in my class. A $15.00 supply fee payable to the instructor will provide all the supplies needed. Included will be cotton and silk fabric, wax, dye, raffia, threads, easy-carve block printing material and more.

Day one
Learn about the designs found in Adire cloth from Nigeria as well as other African textiles.
Make your own tool for applying wax.
Demo in how to apply the wax.
Make waxed fabric.
Learn about tie-dye around the world and in Nigeria in particular
Use raffia and beans to make tied designs
Use pleating and stitching
View Judy’s collection of African fabrics
Spend quiet time tying and stitching.

Homework: continue to tie and/or stitch

Day Two
Learn more about designs from Africa
Learn how to make blocks for printing fabric
Make blocks, and print fabric with resist
Dye yesterday’s waxed cloth
Dye those tied/stitched fabrics that are ready
Remove the wax and rinse out dyes
Dye all remaining cloth
Rinse out fabric

Hand dyeing fabric with resists

Wax Batik
and
Nigerian tied resist

All supplies available from instructor $15

Saturday and Sunday
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
October 20 and 21
$143.10

Cambrian College
Little Current Campus

phone 705 368 3194

Hand dyeing fabric with resist techiniques

paste resist
and
japanese shibori
(wrapped resist
and stitched resist)


all supplies available from the
instructor $15.00


Saturday and Sunday
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
November 17 and 18
$143.10

Espanola campus
Cambrian College

phone 705 368 3194

Dye Parfait workshop









September 8, 2007
10 a.m. to 4 p.m
Centennial Museum of Sheguiandah
Pre - register 368 2657
email: shegmus@vianet.ca
Bring 10 metres of prepared for dye white cotton or linen
$50.00 (includes dyes)

a word for nature
stitched mixed media

Saturday, June 23, 2007
Fabric and Paper Collage
Hand and Spirit Conference
Elliot Lake, Ontario


Spend an enjoyable (packed) morning by creating beautiful and unique art papers. The afternoon will then be devoted to combining them with fabrics and thread in experimental mixed media work. Judy will offer two formats as starting points but there are no rules. This is a very satisfying way to express the creative self.

Supply List

Two pieces of foam core 20 inches x 30 inches (available at art and business supply stores such as Staples)
Straight pins

Selection of about a dozen pieces of fabric (that you love) between 4 and 12 inches square. Include at least one sheer fabric and one silk fabric in your collection. Co-ordinate these by colour. Also, please bring two half metre pieces of neutral coloured cotton or linen.

Your own photographs.We will be using real photographs, not colour copies. Examples are family shots, vacation shots, landscapes, or flower garden shots or bring a self-portrait. Tip: Bring close up photos of your own hands or eyes.

As well bring colour copies of your own artwork. Include detail shots.

A candle and its candleholder.

An awl or a thick needle

One or two pieces of water colour paper or $2 to purchase from instructor.

Cloth scissors, paper scissors and small embroidery scissors

Two colours of embroidery floss and an appropriate needle

Hand written text such as a letter or some old journal pages.

A poem that you love, or the novel you are currently reading.

Sewing machine (optional)
darning foot if you are bringing your machine if you have one

Digital camera (optional)

Leaves from your own back yard or neighbourhood pressed into the pages of a magazine that you like to read.

Embroidered With Wildness
watercolour, sweet clover and thread on paper



Fabric and Paper Collage
workshop
June 23, 2007
Hand and Spirit Conference
Elliot Lake Ontario
Canada's year of craft 2007

Imagine all the people, sharing all the world
November 22, 2006
I presented a new lecture, Narrative Traditions to 20 people in a workshop organized by the York Heritage Quilt Guild in Toronto Canada. What follows is a bibliography used for the images and content of that lecture.

The Extraordinary in the Ordinary, edited by Mary Hunt Kahlenberg,1998
African Textiles by John Gillow, 2003
Embroidery from India and Pakistan by Sheila Paine, 2001
Quilts: The James Collection by Michael Kile and Penny McMorris,1990
The Shining Cloth by Victoria Z. Rivers, 1999
The Techniques of Indian Embroidery by Anne Morrell, 1995
First Shapes, by Ivan and Jane Clark Chermayeff,1991
Colourful world by Amandine Guisez Gallienne, 2005
Embroidered Textiles,by Sheila Paine,1990
Signs and Symbols: African American Quilts, Maude Southwell Wahlman,1993
The World of Amish Quilts by Rachel and Kenneth Pellman, 1984
Costume, Textiles and Jewellery of INDIA by Vandana Bhandari, 2005
Matisse, His art and his textiles ed Hilary Spruling, 2004
The Quilts of Gee’s Bend ed William Arnett, 2002
Raiki Wara, Long Cloth from Aboriginal Australia Judith Ryan and Robyn Healy,1998
African Inspirations In Embroidery by Mary Sleigh, 2004
Robes of Power by Doreen Jenson and Polly Sargent,1986
The Art of Being Kuna by Mari Lyn Salvador, 1997
Labors of Love, America’s textiles and needlework 1650 – 1930 by Judith Reiter 1987
World Textiles, by John Gillow and Bryan Sentence,1999
Dancing Colors: Paths of Native American Women, ed C.J. Brafford and Laine Thom,1992
Printed and Dyed Textiles from Africa by John Gillow, 2001

Fragile as a Leaf in Autumn
shibori dyed linen, kuba inspired applique, north american log cabin piecework, hand embroidery

Toronto Workshop
York Heritage Quilt Guild
November 21, 2006

Narrative Traditions
Indian and Middle Eastern hand embroidery

Discover the wonderful language of symbols found in world textiles. Traditional North American quilts, as well as woven, dyed and embroidered cloths and clothing from around the world have meaning beyond the decorative. Depending on the length of the workshop, a variety of hands-on techniques are presented. These techniques are machine piecing, hand piecing, paper backed piecing, paper-backed applique, hand embroidery, shibori dye techniques and fabric painting. The workshop also includes Judy’s private collection of cloth from around the world. No sewing machine is required for most techniques. A slide lecture about traditional pattern is included. One to five days
The workshop begins with an overview of the many symbols that are used over and over around the world and what they mean to different cultures. This talk will probably take 45 minutes. (slides and my collection of fabrics). The rest of the first day will involve a hands-on technique inspired by world tradition.

Middle and Eastern Hand Embroidery
The following hand stitches are taught during this class.
a) chain stitch and its many uses and variations
b) kantha cloth imagery and the running stitch
c) mirror and sequin work

Supply list
A $10.00 kit fee provides an embroidery hoop, some fabrics, and all threads and embellishments required for the class

Participant should bring:
embroidery scissors
package of embroidery needles
12" square of black cotton
12" square of red cotton