£80 (Approx. $105*)
Coastal Layers – Bird Embroidery with Deborah Campbell
Create textured bird embroideries inspired by Scotland’s coastal landscapes.
Join textile artist Deborah Campbell as she shares her exciting new online workshop, Coastal Layers – Bird Embroidery. Explore the techniques Deborah uses to create birds that emerge from layered, textured textile backgrounds, combining print, collage, and stitch in her signature playful, painterly style.
Deborah Campbell, a textile mixed media artist, is frequently asked how she creates her distinctive bird textiles. In response, she decided to share some of her techniques and insights in this new online workshop, guiding you step by step through the process of creating a bird embroidery that seems to emerge naturally from a textured background.
The inspiration for this project began during lockdown, when Deborah set herself an ambitious challenge: to create the A to Z of Coastal Birds in print and stitch. Always fascinated by feathered friends, she found herself captivated by the constant activity of birds while painting the coastal landscape. What began as an exploration of the scenery soon shifted to a focus on the birds themselves, inspiring Deborah to incorporate their lively presence into her work.
In this immersive workshop, Deborah will guide you through her own process for creating coastal bird embroideries:
Apply a bird design to a patterned textile background so it appears to emerge naturally.
Use sheer fabrics to create shape, tonal differences, and depth.
Harness your sewing machine as a drawing tool for free-motion embroidery.
Blend threads in multiple colours to achieve shading and form.
Add hand-stitched embellishments for detail and finishing touches.
Consider colour, texture, and visual balance in your textile compositions.
This workshop builds on existing skills in free-motion embroidery, helping you gain confidence in combining stitch, fabric, and composition.
Don’t worry if you haven’t done the ‘Coastal Layers’ workshop as this is a stand- alone workshop, where you can use your own patterned and textured fabrics and still achieve great results. However, if you would like to create your own printed fabrics for your background, we would suggest buying the ‘Coastal Layers workshop’.
For this workshop we would suggest you have some experience with free motion embroidery, if you’re a beginner to free motion embroidery we would suggest you start with the ‘Costal Layers workshop’.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll explore:
Textured backgrounds – Layer printed and patterned fabrics to create a rich base for your bird embroidery.
Sheer fabrics & tonality – Use lightweight organzas to create shape, form, and tonal differences.
Free-motion embroidery – Draw your bird onto fabric using your sewing machine.
Colour blending – Mix threads to achieve shading, depth, and form.
Hand embroidery embellishment – Add the final details that make your bird come alive.
Composition & balance – Learn how to integrate your bird seamlessly into the textured textile landscape.
Deborah demonstrates the Oystercatcher as her chosen coastal bird, providing a reference image for participants to use, included in the workshop.
Deborah Campbell is a mixed media and textile artist based in Kilmacolm, Scotland. Inspired by Scotland’s coastal landscapes and birdlife, she combines print, stitch, and collage to create complex, organic artworks.
Deborah trained in Printed Textiles at Glasgow School of Art and has extensive experience in textile printing and embroidery. She enjoys working with multiple fabric textures, including organza and gauze, layering colour and pattern to create depth. Her free-motion embroidery technique allows her sewing machine to become a drawing tool, adding life and detail to her compositions.
Deborah’s teaching style is relaxed and playful, encouraging experimentation, creativity, and the exploration of new techniques.
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Deborah will guide you through working with a full, detailed materials list is provided when you sign up. Many materials can be sourced from your existing fabric stash or household items, with guidance on affordable suppliers.
Deborah has chosen the Oystercatcher as her coastal bird to demonstrate the process. This image was obtained from an online image library www.wildlifereferencephotos.com which is a site designed for artists to use for reference material at affordable prices and not having to worry about copyright laws. The cost for you to use the oystercatcher image is included in the workshop.Â
You will have the opportunity to join Deborah’s Facebook Group which is a fantastic place to share your work and get feedback as well as ask questions about the course.
Once enrolled you will have instant and lifetime access to the entire course so you can go through the videos & worksheets at your own pace.
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*Disclaimer: at the time of publishing, the conversion of £80 to USD was $105, but please check your bank for the most up-to-date rate. (Updated November 2025)