Hand-Embroidered Botanical Sculptures with Amanda McCavour

Artist Amanda McCavour joins Colossal for a workshop on embroidered botanical sculptures. During our two-hour session, students will trace a botanical design from provided drawings and learn to translate their motif into a vibrant textile work with collaged threads. Students will work with water-soluble stabilizers and learn to hand-embroider texture, pattern, and line with running stitches, chain stitches, couching stitches, french knots, and seed stitches.

Workshop date: 1 to 3 p.m. CST on January 14

Required materials

• 1-yard of Sulky Sticky Fabri Solvy
• An 8-inch embroidery hoop, a little smaller or larger will work, too
• Scissors 
• Embroidery needle
• Needle threader 
• Felt-tip pens or markers for writing on the Solvy
• 3-5 colors of embroidery floss
• 3 grams of wool roving in up to 3 colors (this Etsy shop offers small amounts!)
• 1/2 yard of sheer or lightweight fabric to back the piece 
• Yarn scraps 
• An 8 x 8-inch or larger printed botanical drawing to be emailed from Colossal

Attendees will receive an email prior to the event with the printable drawing and Zoom link. 

About Amanda McCavour

McCavour is a Canadian artist who works with stitch to create large-scale embroidered installations. By sewing into fabric that dissolves in water, she builds up stitched lines on a temporary surface. With only the thread remaining, these images appear as though they would be easily unraveled and seemingly on the verge of falling apart, despite the works’ raveled strength.

McCavour holds a BFA from York University where she studied drawing and in May 2014 she completed her MFA in Fibers and Material Studies at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA. McCavour shows her work in galleries nationally and internationally with recent solo exhibitions in Ottawa (ON), Virginia Beach (VA), and Vancouver (BC) and has completed residencies at Harbourfront Centre’s Textile Studio in Toronto, and the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon. She has received numerous awards and scholarships from the Ontario Crafts Council, The Canada Council for the Arts, The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of America, The Ontario Society of Artists, The Surface Design Association, and The Embroiderers' Guild of America.

Giving Back

10% of the proceeds for this workshop will benefit Plant Chicago.