WORKSHOP | Turn Scraps into Treasures | Carol Cooke

WORKSHOP | Turn Scraps into Treasures | Carol Cooke

Saturday 18 October | 10:15am – 11:45am

Location | The Vault, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Cost | General Public Ticket $85 | Craft + Design Canberra Member Ticket $50

Join us for a playful textile workshop where discarded threads and leftover fabrics become whimsical sculptural orbs. 

These little balls of fancy are the perfect way to reimagine textile waste. Led by embroidery artist Carol Cooke, this session celebrates the beauty of scraps too loved to toss. You'll learn simple hand-stitching and wrapping techniques to build your orb, then embellish it with beads, sequins, and vibrant threads. 

Explore embroidery stitches like the French knot and Bullion stitch, experiment with layering and composition, and turn your orb into a brooch, earrings, or keepsake. Each creation is unique. 

This workshop is perfect for anyone with a love of handwork, curiosity, or a desire to make something truly unique. All skill levels are welcome, and examples of what you might create will be on display for inspiration. 

What you'll be doing:

·         Stitching

·         Wrapping Techniques

·         Creating Jewellery

What you'll need to bring:

·         All materials are provided.

·         Participants are also encouraged to bring their own fabrics.

This workshop is best suited for:

·         Accessible workshop, all skill levels.

About the artist:

Carol Cooke is a Canberra-based artist whose practice spans textiles and sculpture, creating both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works. Her art is deeply rooted in drawing and extensive journaling, which support her creative exploration. 

Textiles are her primary medium, enhanced by a diverse range of mixed-media techniques. As the author of Improv Embroidery and Contemplation Cloth, Carol embraces traditional embroidery stitches while discarding rigid patterns and rules to create unique, expressive works. Her art is driven by vivid imagination, inventiveness, and improvisational creativity. 

As part of her practice, she endeavours to use all the scrap and fabric leftovers as part of her new range of soft sculptures. 

Carol’s work sparks conversations around environmental, social, and political themes—past, present, and future. She is dedicated to daily stitching, continuously 

experimenting with embroidery techniques and documenting her process through journaling. 

Carol completed a double degree at ANU - Visual Arts, majoring in Textiles, 2016 and Art History and Curatorship 2018. She was a finalist in the Woollahra Small Sculpture prize, Adelaide Perry Drawing prize and M16 Drawing Prize. 

Accessibility at the venue:

·         The Vault has wheelchair access via a roller door.

·         We are an LGBTIAQ+ friendly venue.

·         If you have any specific requests, please email programs@craftanddesigncanberra.org.

Support Artists and Learn from the Best  

Craft + Design Canberra  workshops provide an opportunity for audiences to learn from the unique skillsets of our members: individuals who are highly regarded in their fields as artists, designers, and craftspeople.

Craft + Design Canberra prides itself on paying fair rates of pay to our artists as recommended by NAVA (the National Association for the Visual Artists). Our artists are the best in their fields and deserve fair remuneration. Audiences attending our activities learn from the best.

Craft + Design Canberra is a not-for-profit membership-based organisation supporting artists, craft practitioners, designers and makers at every stage of their careers. Craft + Design Canberra workshops are designed to create opportunities for our members to showcase their skills, engage with community, and earn incomes.

Find our full program here.

Cancellation Policy

·         15 days prior: Customers are entitled to a full refund on request.

·         Less than 14 days: Customers are not entitled to a refund. Customers are entitled to a ticket transfer to a friend or family member.

Donations

Support Craft + Design Canberra to create greater opportunities for our community of craftspeople and designers, and for the growing audience who admire and appreciate the beauty, skill and excellence of their work.

Your generosity supports our organisation as an advocate for contemporary craft and design in Canberra and beyond. Help us to shape a handmade and creative future through exhibitions, events, residencies, professional development and commissions, as well as the biennial Craft + Design Canberra Festival.

Craft + Design Canberra has been endorsed by the Australian Tax Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) and is registered as a charity (as Craft + Design Canberra) with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission ABN: 33314092587. All donations of $2 or more will be tax deductible if you live in Australia.

Thank you for your generous support, even a small amount can make a big difference to those who MAKE.

Image | Carol Cooke | Earrings | 2025 | Courtesy of the Artist | Edited by Craft + Design Canberra