Inside My Studio

Getting Started with Mixed Media Textile Art

FREE sign-up available until 18 December 2025, 5pm GMT

Are you ready to step inside the world of mixed media textile art?

Whether you’re brand new to textile art or simply curious about the materials behind this expressive medium, this free online workshop will guide you through everything you need to know to get started—clearly, confidently, and creatively.

If you’ve ever looked at painted textiles, stitched layers or textured surfaces and wondered “How do they do that?” — this is your perfect starting point.

What you'll learn

By the end of this workshop, you’ll have:

  • A solid understanding of the key materials used in mixed media textile art
  • Clarity on how to choose materials based on the type of artwork you want to create
  • The confidence to combine fabrics, paints, and stitching to build your own expressive layers
  • Beginner-friendly knowledge you can use right away – without needing to buy lots of new supplies

You’ll discover how different materials impact texture, colour, stitch, and structure, so you can begin your creative journey with more ease and a lot more fun.

Why this workshop?

Mixed media textiles can feel overwhelming when you don’t know where to begin. Fabrics… paints… threads… tools—what do you actually need?

This workshop breaks everything down simply:

You’ll learn exactly which materials work best, why they work, and how to select the right ones for your style and your projects. Once you get comfortable with the basics, we’ll also explore a few exciting optional extras to help you stretch your creativity.

How it works

This workshop is completely self-paced, so you can dip in whenever your creative energy flows.

  • Immediate access to all 5 teaching videos
  • Clear, step-by-step walkthroughs of each material and how to use it
  • A detailed Materials PDF – a helpful reference guide containing every material covered in the videos (not a shopping list—use what you already have!)
  • Work at your own pace and experiment with materials you already own
  • Bonus guidance on extra, more advanced materials you might explore in future
  • Presentation ideas to help you display your finished mixed media artwork beautifully

What we'll cover

Here’s a taster of the materials and techniques inside:

Fabrics
How to choose fabrics for painting, layering, stitching and structure.

Textile Painting
Which fabric paints to use, alternatives, and how different fabrics absorb colour.

Embroidery
Setting up your sewing machine for free-motion embroidery, combining machine and hand stitch, and choosing the right threads.

Supporting & Extra Materials
Tulle, stabilisers, papers, mediums, and other playful additions that work beautifully alongside fabric.

Presentation
Simple, effective ways to frame or mount your mixed media pieces for display.

And much more – perfect for absolute beginners who want to understand the materials before diving into a full creative project.

Everything Included When You Sign Up

  • A comprehensive materials reference list
  • Clear demonstrations of:
    • Fabrics suitable for painting
    • Recommended paint options
    • Useful paint brushes
    • Supporting and textural materials
    • Hand & free-motion embroidery threads
    • Sewing machine set-up with a darning foot

You don’t need special equipment to begin—just curiosity and a willingness to explore.

Meet your tutor - Ellie Hipkin

Ellie Hipkin is a textile mixed media artist based in Brighton, UK. Her work is inspired by the ever-changing moods of the landscape—weathered skies, shifting seasons, wild plants and quiet woodland spaces. Through painted fabrics, digital prints of her photographs, free-motion embroidery and delicate hand stitching, she creates layered artworks rich in texture, movement and atmosphere.

After 12 years working as a fashion designer, Ellie now works full-time as an artist and teacher. She founded the Flourish Textile Art Hub in 2021, sharing her mixed media techniques alongside a growing community of guest tutors. Her teaching is warm, accessible and rooted in helping artists grow confidence through gentle experimentation.

View her work here

Ready to Begin Your Mixed Media Journey?

Click below to sign up and get instant access to all 5 videos, the materials guide, and your introduction to the beautiful world of mixed media textiles.