Bristol Folk House

Embroidery: Thread Painting

Start date: 22 November 2026

Day: Sunday

Course length: 1 Day Course

Time: 10:00 to 16:00

Folk House

Course code: SC31

Full fee: £68.00 | Over 65s: £61.20 | Benefit: £54.40

Tutor: Lizzie Barnes

Courses description

Immerse yourself in a full-day creative masterclass that takes hand embroidery entirely into the third dimension. This workshop perfectly bridges the hyper-realism of thread painting with the physical, structural magic of stumpwork.

We will begin our day in the flat plane, learning how to use your needle like a paintbrush to master the fundamental long-and-short stitch. Using a vibrant, contemporary palette, you will practice blending thread colours seamlessly within a hoop to capture smooth transitions of light, shadow, and movement. In the afternoon, you will break free from the flat fabric by using fine wire armatures to stitch independent, detached petals. By carefully cutting out these wire-edged elements and securing them onto your thread-painted base, you will construct a show-stopping, dimensional 3D flower that physically rises off the textile surface. You will walk away with a breathtaking piece of structural wall art and a master-level toolkit to transform your future embroidery projects.

Level: All Levels / Intermediate

This workshop would suit those who have some experience of embroidery. It is also accessible if you have never embroidered or thread-painted before.

What you will learn and achieve:

Learn the fundamentals of long-and-short stitch shading using a vibrant, contemporary palette.

Master stitch direction and angle to mimic brushstrokes, blending thread colours seamlessly in your hoop to create realistic light and shadow on your background elements.

Learn how to manipulate fine wire into elegant, stable petal shapes and secure them onto a separate backing fabric.

Learn how to anchor and secure your high-relief wire petals directly onto your thread-painted base fabric, building a physical, multi-layered flower that pops forward.

Please note: All 10, and 12 week courses have a half term break in the middle. For term dates please visit our Contact us page. We are not open on bank holiday Mondays and any class that falls on these days will be made up at the end of term.

Fees

You will need to have paid in full for your course or workshop to guarantee your place. We do not accept deposits or part payments. Courses and workshops are becoming increasingly popular, so please book early in order to guarantee your place.
We do offer concession rates for anyone over 65, NHS staff (blue light cards), Students or claiming the benefits listed below. As we are a self-funded organisation we receive no financial support, in order to offer these rates.
The concessionary rate is for those whose sole source of income is from a state benefit. We accept Universal Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance. Please show a recent letter or statement stating your benefit when enrolling.

Refunds

In the event that we have to cancel a course, we aim to inform you 2 working days before the start date, or at least 24 hours before a day workshop. If we have to cancel a course, then you will receive a full credit note or refund.
If you wish to cancel your place you must inform us up to 14 days before the start date of your course or workshop. In this case you will receive a refund minus a 15% admin fee.
If you give us less than 14 days notice, or your course or workshop has already started a refund will be not given.

Please see full terms and conditions for more information.

Latecomer

If a course has already started, please call the office as it may be possible to join after the start date. This may only be possible if the course is not already full, if it is not disruptive for the other students and you are aware that you have missed a percentage of the course and the tutor will not have time to catch you up. This will be at discretion of the Folk House. We run our courses termly, so it might be best to start at the beginning of the course.

Levels

You must be over 18 years old to attend a course or workshop at the Bristol Folk House.
All our courses and workshops are non-accredited and will not receive a certificate for attending.
We offer a range of courses at all levels and our tutors make every effort to accommodate your individual needs. Before choosing you may want to speak to the tutor to make sure the course is right for you. Please contact the office.
To join all of our courses you must be able to follow written and verbal instructions and you may be invited to take part in group discussions. Please look at the rest of the course outline carefully to decide if you may benefit from any additional support to help you to take part in this class. Please contact the office if you require any further information.
If you have a disability, learning difficulty or mental health issue which may affect your participation in your chosen course please contact the office prior to enrolling. If you will need to bring a career or support worker with you to the class, please inform the office when enrolling so we can make arrangements.

Access/ Parking

Much as we would like to provide access for all, the Folk House has no level access or accessible facilities.
We have no onsite car parking at the Bristol Folk House but there are many paid parking spots in the area. Please ask us for details on parking or see our website for more detail.
We are on a busy bus route and have plenty of bike racks in our courtyard garden.