Mixed Media Textile Art Collage, Retreat
Mixed Media Textile Art Collage, Retreat !
A Five Day Retreat with Madeline Island School of the Arts, MISA
Dates: Sept.28 - Oct.2, 2026 Madeline Island, Wisconsin
- Direct link to the MISA Website Listing
Workshop Description
Making time to play and experiment is essential for fueling creativity. A highlight of this workshop is a full day devoted to surface design and mark making on fabric and paper. Through intuitive, expressive techniques, you’ll loosen up creatively while developing a rich collection of unique textures and patterns to incorporate into your final piece.
Composition can feel challenging, but with guided exploration your confidence will grow quickly. Combining paper and fabric is both surprising and magical. Contemporary hand embroidery, worked without a hoop, will be used to bring your collage to life in unexpected ways, adding depth, pattern, and texture throughout. You will create a wall hanging approximately 14” x 18”. All skill levels are welcome.
We will cover:
- Simplified fundamentals of color and design
- Contemporary hand embroidery without a hoop
- Low-tech surface design techniques for fabric and paper
- Construction methods for integrating exquisite papers into textile art
Above is an example of one of my pieces made with hand dyed and painted fabrics and papers. Linen, silk, Japanese kozo paper, and my image transfer of a camellia on silk were used in this piece. Is is all hand stitched.
Brief Workshop Schedule
Day 1. Introduction
- Background, Objectives of Class
- Overview of Tools and Materials
Exercises:
- surface design techniques
-mark making on fabric and paper
Day 2. Stitch Sampler
- sampler design, marking, project prep, stitching basics
- working with, stitching paper, learning all basic stitches used
Day 3. Color and Design
- explore ideas for compositions, themes
- create a design board, initial design decisions
- color, design format, overall size
Day 4. Additional Elements
- specific stitches and their uses
- introduce stitch patterns and textures
Day 5.Finishing and Display Options
- sharing progress, photos
- mounting on canvas, felt, etc.
Learn More About Madeline Island School of the Arts (MISA) Link to Their Info
MISA was founded in 2009 on Madeline Island, the largest of the 22 Apostle Islands in Lake Superior.
Established by Charles E. Meech, the school transformed a former dairy farm into a vibrant arts campus, offering workshops in writing, painting, urban sketching, mixed media, quilting, fiber arts and photography. MISA has since become recognized as one of the nation's premier art and craft workshop schools. It is a fascinating place with an incredible staff and a fabulous lineup of instructors.
This is a closeup shot of a piece that started with all white fabric. Fabric and paper were rust-dyed, printed with the cyanotype process, painted, and hand stitched without an embroidery hoop.
Once you begin considering new ideas and ways of doing things, it is remarkable what can happen.
A sample of a redbud tree's leaves and seed pods are featured here. If you look closely at the seedpods, you will see that they are made from used teabags, with the tea remove of course.