Join the wait list to be first to know when Swirls opens - and receive a little thank you discount
Dive into layers of imagery, colour, texture and embellishment...
and step into a world of colour, texture, and glorious creativity!
Imagine...
Your favourite colours of fabric and thread - the more the merrier!
Intriguing glimpses of pattern and text from the papers you choose for your collages
The tiniest snippets and scraps of fabrics stitched into swirling lines of colour
Sari silks, fancy yarns, soft and frayed cottons...
Sparkling sequins and beads, bright buttons...
It’s a layered, tactile, joyful tangle of all your favourite things, swirled together in a unique expression of your personality and creativity!
Create paper collage, perhaps adding a little painted colour, to make unique, detailed and personal backgrounds for textile art.
Use papers purely for the visual pattern of the lettering - or perhaps add favourite sentiments or poetry, even secret messages!
As the layers of fabric and stitch are added, the papers become partly obscured, creating even more intrigue and interest within your work.
Use your choice of fabrics and yarns and threads to build glorious textural layers of colour and line and detail.
Everything (within reason!) is fair game - from sari silks to colourful cottons, sparkly fabrics to well-worn favourite remnants. Tapestry yarns, metallic threads, scraps of lace and floaty scarves...we can use it all.
A little hand embroidery can be wonderful for those little extra pops of texture and detail, beyond what's possible with the sewing machine.
I'll share my secrets for adding simple but effective hand embroidery, and show you how to make it easier on your hands - even with these deeply layered and embellished pieces.
Combine all your favourite fabrics and threads to create a unique piece of stitched art, full of detail and personal resonance
Learn loads of easy but really useful machine embroidery techniques
This project is the ultimate stash-buster! Use up all those saved scraps of fabric and thread and all those little beads and bits we all like to collect
Have a go at stitching something completely different!
Respond to the colours, textures and details and relax into the process - one line, one layer at a time.
Learn how to finish and frame your work ready for display
Give everything a go and build a hugely valuable portfolio of samples, ideas and notes - instantly transferable to all your other stitched textile art projects
You could add little messages, too...
The next run is early 2026.
Join the wait list to be first in line and get a little "thank you" discount!
Join the wait list to be first to know when Swirls opens - and receive a little thank you discount
Grid section
The course is divided into 10 sections. The first is available immediately on purchase, so you can gather your materials and get ready to start.
The next three sections are available as soon as the course starts, so you can get cracking and start making.
The remaining sections covering more advanced techniques are released a week at a time.
After six weeks, you'll have access to everything - forever!*
*as long as I continue teaching online, and I have no plans to stop
Each lesson has a video with subtitles. The camera is up close to the action, and shows very clearly what and how I'm stitching. You get a better view than me!
Some videos are only a few minutes, some are a little longer. You can alter the speed and volume to suit, and stop/start whenever you like.
Skip easily to the next lesson, or back to the previous, with a click of a button.
Every lesson has full written notes. Key lessons in machine embroidery techniques have PDF checklists to download and print for future reference.
I'll always encourage you to take your own notes as that's the best way to learn - but you have forever access to the lessons, so you don't have to if you don't want to.
There are three live Q&A calls scheduled during the six weeks. If you can't join live, they'll be recorded and uploaded for you to watch in your own time.
If you can't make the calls during the six weeks, I also host 'office hours' calls roughly every couple of months, for anyone who's taken any of my courses - so there's always another chance for a chat about things later on.
There's a private discussion forum for course members built right in. Upload photos of your progress, share with others, ask questions, and get to know your fellow course participants - all without leaving this platform or joining Facebook!
The next run is early 2026.
Join the wait list to be first in line and get a little "thank you" discount!
Be notified as soon as Swirls is open to join!
Your favourite fabrics, colours, beads and buttons all melded together into a glorious whole!
There's something universally appealing about swirls, spirals and circles...
Spirals and circles are everywhere in nature – shells, galaxies, flowers, weather patterns, tree rings. Our brains are wired to recognise and be drawn to these shapes. They suggest movement, growth, and continuity – all things we experience in the natural world.
Unlike straight lines or sharp angles, spirals and circles feel fluid. They guide the eye inwards or outwards, and that movement feels meditative.
Circles often represent wholeness, unity, protection, and spirals can represent personal growth, cycles, or journeys.
They can carry meaning, but they’re abstract enough that we can bring our own ideas to them – the perfect half-way house for personal expression.
Swirls and circles are naturally enjoyable to make. There’s freedom in the shapes that emerge, and no “wrong” way to do it. Ideal for intuitive, layered work with paper, fabric and stitch!
I liked that I could access it anytime I wanted and re-watch videos as many times as I wanted.
I liked learning new techniques. The videos were really detailed and it was great to be able to re-watch each stage. The whole course was broken down into really manageable chunks so I could do a little at a time.
I enjoyed the whole process, and loved the fact you could add as much or as little as you like once the swirls are started.
Inspiration! I've learnt new techniques and used my sewing machine to the max. Excellent course, thank you Isobel.
I really loved that I could do a bit, like several hours, and then think about it for several days before I went back to do some more work on it. I was very pleased with the end result. I know I would not have produced that if it had been a day or even weekend workshop.
The videos were so clear - clearer than in real life, jostling for space with other people. I liked all the handy tips and hints.
The next run is early 2026.
Join the wait list to be first in line and get a little "thank you" discount!
Join the wait list to be first to know when Swirls opens - and receive a little thank you discount
Early 2026
The course content is released over six weeks from the published start date. Thereafter, it's yours to access for as long as you like. There is no cut-off date: once you're in, it's all yours.
I have no plans to leave this platform. If I ever decide to quit, I'll make sure you have at least a year's access to all the material before anything disappears.
The day before the published start date!
If circumstances mean you missed it and you twist my arm to join after this, you'll be on a slightly delayed schedule for the sections of the course to unlock.
A sewing machine in excellent working order
Your usual sewing equipment
Firm calico or canvas and a paper-like stabiliser (e.g. Stitch'n'tear)
Bondaweb
A handful of machine threads
Some brightly coloured scraps of fabric (nothing too heavy)
A handful of papers for collage
All other bits and pieces are easy to source, and I strongly encourage you to use what you already have.
You can download a full requirements list here:
No!
A normal domestic sewing machine is perfect for this workshop.
A few extra decorative or utility stitches are always useful, but you don't need hundreds.
A free-motion foot suitable for your machine is essential if you want to add free-motion details. Even this could be avoided if you're really anxious about trying it, but let me teach you! It's not that hard, once you know how.
You'll need to be able to drop or cover the feed dog (teeth) - there'll be a button or switch somewhere around the base of your machine. Check the manual!
If you have a separate bobbin case for 'bobbin work' or cable stitch (stitching with thicker threads in the bobbin) that can be useful - but isn't essential. I'll talk you through. I haven't met a machine yet that wasn't able to do it!
No!
The stitching can be as simple as you like. We will be covering lots of different techniques, including free-motion - but there's lots you can do with the ordinary presser foot.
The course is suitable for ALL abilities, experienced in textile art or not.
A comprehensive guide to free-motion embroidery is included, and has been described by a previous participant as the best free motion tutorial they've ever had.
And I'm always on hand for help and support should you get stuck!
Mostly.
I love using my sewing machine, but I also like the texture and contrast that a little hand embroidery can add to a piece.
It can be a little tricky to stitch into these sturdy fabric collages, so I'll share my secrets for doing so that will make it easier - even if you find hand embroidery difficult.
There's a whole block of lessons on easy and accessible ways to generate and play with ideas for swirls - and even more lessons to help you with sticky design decisions scattered throughout the course.
Personally, I like to stitch my swirls in an intuitive, unplanned way - but I'll share the tips and tricks that can help pull it all together. These are always useful to know, but especially if you're not confident with designing on the hoof!
I really can't say, as it depends how much time you have available, but perhaps take a couple of hours or so at a time. That's enough to achieve a lot, then you can come back refreshed another time.
I've designed the course so that we'll start with smaller pieces for practise and experimentation, then work towards creating larger, more finished pieces. So how long it will all take depends how many pieces you make! And that's completely up to you.
After six weeks all lessons will be unlocked. It'll be there for you whenever it suits you and your schedule, so you can fit it around all your other commitments. And because you have indefinite access, what's the rush?!
First, there's no such thing as a silly question! I'm always on hand to help.
There's a chat box on every page in the course - ping me a message, and I'll reply as soon as I'm next online. You can also leave a comment (and even upload a photo) or email me.
There are three live Q&A calls during the first six weeks, so you can send me your question (or come along to the call and ask it then).
You can also ask questions in the private Discussion group - and others may be able to help you out or give you suggestions to try. This is a new closed group just for this course, and I hope it'll be a supportive and encouraging place to share and support each other.
There's lots of ways! If you want a private response, the best way is to email me. There’s an email link at the top of every page in the course, and a little envelope icon at the verrrrrry bottom of every page, too.
Or send me a private message using the chat function on every page. This will ping me a notification, and I'll respond as soon as I can. If I'm online and already in the course, I'll see it immediately.
If you're happy for others to see, you can leave a comment (with or without a photo) in any lesson. This can be really helpful for others, because if you have a question, chances are someone else is wondering the same thing!
You can also start a new discussion in the group and upload pictures of your work. I check for posts every day, but if I'm not around (depending on time zones!) someone else is sure to be, to offer support or advice.
Once you've signed up, I'm not able to give refunds.
Please get in touch with me before you go ahead and purchase, if you want to ask me anything before you commit! I'm happy to answer any questions that I haven't already answered here.
If you do go ahead and sign up and you're really unhappy with the course, please email me - but I strongly encourage you to get in touch beforehand if you're not sure.
Send me an email - I'm always happy to answer your questions.
Bring it all together into a completely unique and personal piece of textile art
The next run is early 2026.
Join the wait list to be first in line and get a little "thank you" discount!
Join the wait list to be first to know when Swirls opens - and receive a little thank you discount