Vancouver Island Surface Design Association (VISDA) is hosting “Tying the Threads” workshop series in conjunction with Current Threads 2023 exhibition of fibre art works made by VI, BC & Yukon SDA members.  This is a follow-up to the fun and successful conference VISDA held in June 2022.  It was our way of celebrating getting together in person once again to learn from each other, appreciate each other's art and enjoy each other's company.  The workshop series begins June 13 and runs through June 17 in CVAC (Cowichan Valley Arts Centre) in Duncan.  VISDA's Current Threads Exhibition will be on display from June 7 - July 5 in the CVAC Gallery and Annex.

The workshop series start with a Grand Hello on June 13 in the CVAC Gallery from 1 - 5.  There will be registration, orientation, refreshments and a book signing by VISDA member, Karen Selk author of In Search of Wild Silk: Exploring Village Industry in the Jungles of India.  It will be a special afternoon to interact with the artists displaying their work.  Each artist will talk about the thoughts and processes that led to their creations. The workshops are a mix of one or two days with a diversity of exciting subjects on Wed, June 14 through Sat, June 17.  Jean Cockburn will teach participants the age-old skills of stitching, Hand Embroidery on Linen. Eleanor Hannan will guide students with paint and stitch in Character Development through Textile Techniques and the Capture of the Self.  Ede Russett will introduce the magic of making prints using a variety of botanicals - Introduction to Eco Printing.  Lesley Turner will present, Drawing with the Sewing Machine, which will help develop confidence and skills in free-motion embroidery.  Yuko Yamamoto will introduce traditional Japanese decorating techniques using dyes - Decorating Cotton with Japanese Dyeing Techniques.  Coreen Zerr will give two workshops - Thread Gourmet - Techniques of Three-dimensional Thread Play, using a sewing machine and threads.  Her second workshop will use paint to create a variety of techniques on cloth, Splash of Colour.