Events « Seaside Sisters

Point of the Compass – Tue 26th to Sat 30th June

May 20, 2012 at 2:02 pm | Posted in Events, Workshops | Leave a comment

The Seaside Sisters return to Craft Central in Clerkenwell for their annual showcase of coastal inspired textiles and prints.

The “queens of coastal craft” have laid all hands on deck to bring you their 2012 collection of seaside themed homewares and accessories. Inspired by holidays spent collecting seashells, mermaid lore and souvenirs, their work celebrates the charm of our British seaside towns on all points of the compass, North, South, East and West. You can see pictures from last year’s show on our Facebook album here.

Create your own souvenirs with the Seaside Sisters exciting programme of print and textile workshops running during showcase in the evenings and weekends. Try out print gocco, embroidery or lino printing to create hankies, notebooks and tea towels inspired by the Seaside Sisters collection of vintage souvenirs. Children can take part in the signal flag treasure hunt around the show. Details of workshops and bookings are below.

See a film of the Seaside Sisters getting crafty on the LV21 ship last summer -

Craft Central

33-35 St John’s Square

London EC1M 4DS

Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6.30pm.

Afternoon tea party Saturday 30^th June at 2pm.

Free entrance.

Nearest tube Farringdon. Or a short walk / bus from Old Street or Angel.

Bus routes 63, 55, 243 and 153.

Craft Central print and textile workshops

Print gocco with Xtina Lamb

Wednesday 27^th June, 6.30pm – 9pm

£40 includes all materials and refreshments. Book a place

Embroider souvenir hankies with Gillian Elam of Fabric Nation

Embroider a souvenir handkerchief with Gillian from Fabric Nation. We provide all the materials, including pure cotton hankies, embroidery silks and for inspiration, our collection of vintage souvenir hankies and textile design books. You will be handle vintage souvenirs from the 30s to 60s and learn about souvenir hankie designs and embroidery at this workshop.

With our tuition and top tips you will design and stitch your own hankie all handmade by you.

Thursday 28th June 6.30pm – 9pm

£25 includes all materials and refreshments

All workshops are suitable for beginners.

Book your workshop place here.

Print a tea towel with Gillian Elam of Fabric Nation

Print Your Own Tea Towel with Gillian from Fabric Nation. We provide all the materials, including pure cotton tea towels, fabric inks and for inspiration, our collection of vintage tea towels and textile design books.

With our tuition and top tips you will design and cut your own lino block and print up a tea towel, all handmade by you. We use a soft lino which is much easier to cut than the traditional lino you might remember from your school days. All inks are washable and non-toxic, but do bring a pinny in case of inky stains. The inks are fixed by ironing, so your finished tea towel can be used and washed. That’s if you don’t plan to frame your work of art!

Take a peek at our Facebook album to see all the fab things we made at our previous printing workshops.

Saturday 30^th June 11am – 2pm

£25 includes all materials and refreshments

All workshops are suitable for beginners and children from age 8 are welcome accompanied by an adult.

Book your workshop place here.

Printed Wonders Open Studio

April 23, 2012 at 7:29 pm | Posted in Events, Workshops | Leave a comment
Tags: open studio, printed wonders, workshops

Join Xtina next week for an open studio as she prints new work on paper and fabric with British celebratory themes. Motifs ranging from May Day green men to Jubilee diamonds, British cultural icons and lucky symbols will be printed on bunting, flags and artworks and used to decorate Craft Central’s Showcase gallery space, foyer, and window.

You can get your fingers inky too if you want to join in. Book an evening workshop for the chance to make prints from your own artwork with Print Gocco screen printing machines. Or visit during the daytime and you’ll be invited take part in the printing in progress, or just enjoy taking a peek at how Xtina’s colourful products are made.

Printed Wonders Open Studio
The Showcase Craft Central, 33-35 St. John’s Square, London EC1M 4DS – Map
1st – 4th May 2012
11am – 5.30pm Tue – Fri, Free entry
Gocco workshops, Wed 2nd & Thu 3rd May, 6.30pm – 9.30pm, £40

Print Gocco Day Workshops

November 3, 2011 at 9:30 am | Posted in Events, Workshops | Leave a comment
Tags: London, print gocco, workshops

Xtina has two all day print workshops lined up for Gocco fans. Firstly, remember remember to visit Shepherds Falkiners‘ fine paper shop in Bloomsbury on the 5th of November – for a day of Gocco printing using hi-mesh masters and oil based inks. Gocco bulbs will flash like fireworks and ooos and ahhs will ring out at a lovely explosion of prints made from your own artwork.

There will be examples of Gocco work, tips for getting the best results and ideas such as how to re-use damaged screens. You can also try out the squeegee printing method. Shepherds will be supplying fine papers to print on. You’ll take home your screen and prints.
Book via Shepherds 020 7831 1151 or matt@bookbinding.co.uk
£60, max 5 places.

Part two takes place at Xtina’s studio at Craft Central in Clerkenwell on Sunday 4th December, and promises a day of Gocco screen printing and experimentation. Make screens from your own artwork using the Gocco machine and Riso mesh. Stretch the mesh on a thin plastic frame, then print with a lightweight squeegee and water based screen printing ink.

Try out a thermofax machine to make a screen without using Gocco bulbs, and print with texture screens and hand cut stencils onto cards, paper, notebooks and fabric. Registration techniques and lots of tips will be shared. The screens you make are yours to take home. You can carry on printing with them later with supplies easily bought from art shops, and it’s ideal timing for making Xmas cards or gifts!

Sandwiches, tea and cake are included in the price.
£60, max 6 places  
Full details & online booking via Etsy

Ladies & gentlemen, the LV21 residency video…

October 12, 2011 at 1:38 pm | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

How fabulous, Gary Weston from LV21 lightship made a Seaside Sisters video during our residency, and here it is. You can see the sewing and printing workshops, adults and children running around the ship on our treasure hunt of signal flag messages, the shops, the deep sea disco, a mermaid singing, evidence that Print Gocco can make jaws drop in amazement and a lot of people having fun. The theatrical waves are shown in action and there’s us being silly at the very end. Hope you like it!

The Seaside Sisters Get Crafty Onboard LV21 from Spaghetti Weston on Vimeo.

Day six on the ship… our last day

September 4, 2011 at 8:35 am | Posted in Events | 2 Comments

We had a lovely last day on Light Vessel 21 with Print Gocco workshops, more brooch making and treasure hunts and lots of sunshine on deck. We also enjoyed the company of Bob making knots to create a fender for the ship’s little boat and the wonderful Colin and his morse code machines. During the afternoon we were treated to the gentle rhythm of morse code messages being exchanged all over the world. After a wonderful week we wave goodbye to LV21.

Day Five on the ship

September 3, 2011 at 6:45 am | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

The Seaside Sisters love all things nautical, but you won’t find any seagulls here, instead we have a love of another bird, can you guess…

Here they all are, gathered in our shop….

And this is Woo, a very special owl who is living deep in the ship’s generator room.

Day four on the ship

September 2, 2011 at 12:58 am | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

Holiday memories are such precious things and we have enjoyed seeing these come to life with our Holiday Bunting workshop. We have been asking our visitors to add to our line of holiday bunting with pictures of holiday souvenirs, what they like about holidays, summer symbols and favourite seaside towns.

Day three on the ship

August 31, 2011 at 11:28 pm | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

As well as a full programme of workshops on board the LV21 we have the Seaside Sisters Shop. We are rather thrilled to have such a wonderful space to display all our seaside and nautical inspired wares. We love the brass framed port holes. This is normally the signal room from which Colin sends morse code messages. I wonder what the morse code is for Seaside Sisters?

Day two on the ship

August 30, 2011 at 11:16 pm | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

Our second day on the lightship was a frenzy of brooch and pennant making with lots of lovely families.

We also made pennants specially designed for LV21. You can drop in any day this week to make you own Lightship souvenir.

We even had a coach party of children who came and took part in our Signal Flag Treasure Hunt. Have you cracked the code yet?

Thanks everyone who visited!

First day on the LV21 Lightship

August 30, 2011 at 9:37 am | Posted in Events | Leave a comment

We enjoyed a magical first day on board the LV21 Lightship. From mermaids singing and installations in cabins and engine rooms.

We are looking forward to more drop in workshops this week.

And seeing who can crack the codes in our signal flag treasure hunt.

We are here all week, 11-5pm, Gillingham Pier. Just a 10 minute walk from Gillingham station or by car, follow the signs to Gillingham Pier off the A289 (near Dickens World and Chatham Historic Docks. We have lots of activities for all ages every day this week until Saturday as well as our Seaside Sisters shop and souvenirs.