Join local textile artists Camilla Emson, Tamara Jones and Jordan Maxwell for a three-part collaborative workshop exploring the transformation of worn textiles through intuitive movement, woad dyeing, and textile repair. Through shared making, we’ll connect more deeply to our clothes, the land, and each other, drawing on the rich history of woad and textiles in Frome. You’ll experiment with natural dyeing, stitching, and embodied practice to create a collective textile piece.
This workshop is part of the Tinctoria exhibition at the Silk Mill, part of the Frome Festival.
Tickets for all three sessions incl materials: £55 here.
Workshop Sessions
Part One: Undoing
Sunday 6th July, 10.30am – 12pm
We begin with a warm welcome and introductions to the artists and group. Participants are invited to share the fabrics they’ve brought along and the stories or memories they hold—these cloths will be used throughout the workshop.
A guided somatic meditation will ground us in our bodies and senses, inviting us to attune to the materials. Together, we’ll begin the slow process of unpicking seams and unravelling cloth, opening space for imagination and possibility. We’ll share tea, stories, and silence as we meditate with our hands, unravelling the volumes of fabric that have held so many lives.
Part Two: Dyeing
Sunday 6th July, 1pm – 2.30pm
Using woad, the traditional plant dye at the heart of the Tinctoria exhibition, you’ll explore colour and transformation through a guided, intuitive dyeing process. Beginning with embodied attention to the cloth’s journey, you’ll observe how it absorbs the pigment, deepening your connection to the material in both a physical and meditative way.
Part Three: Repair
Wednesday 9th July, 7pm – 8.30pm
In the final session, we’ll use stitching and repair techniques to bring together the dyed and undone pieces into a shared artwork. A sensory meditation will begin the session, helping you tune into the fabric’s texture and meaning. Drawing inspiration from quilting and mending traditions, we’ll collaborate to piece the textiles together, considering layout, pattern, texture, and shape as a group.
About the Artists
Camilla Emson
Camilla is an interdisciplinary artist whose psychobiological work centres on the female body as a vessel for exploring motherhood, objectification, and transformation. Working with pliable fibre, liquid media and glass, her sensorial practice tests the boundaries of containment—physical and emotional. Her work often draws on her somatic therapy background and has been shown at the Whitechapel Gallery, Freud Museum, Leila Heller (NYC), and as part of Fabric of Life curated by Catherine Loewe. In 2024, she completed a residency with Roman Road in Sicily.
Instagram: @camillemson
Jordan Maxwell
Jordan is a textile artist and natural dyer exploring the relationship between material, maker and the natural world. She founded SALT Textiles in 2017 and has collaborated with Tom Dixon, Converse, Osip, No. 6 Gallery, and the South London Gallery. Teaching is a key part of her creative practice, and she regularly leads workshops across Europe.
Instagram: @salt_textiles
Credit: Laura Wencker
Tamara Jones
Tamara is a designer and textile artist working with worn materials often seen as waste. Her designs have featured at London and Paris Fashion Weeks and been shown at the V&A and the Design Museum. Her current work focuses on collaborative textile art, including quilting and weaving, alongside teaching clothing repair.
Instagram: @by_tamarajones
Important Information
- This is an intimate workshop with limited spaces. Please book only if you can attend all three sessions.
- All materials are included in the ticket price.
- Please bring your own lunch on Sunday; tea and coffee will be provided.
- If cost is a barrier to attending, please contact us to request a bursary space.
- Cancellations within 48 hours of the event are non-refundable