Guest Tutor
Cathy Jack Coupland
ICC Sydney Darling Harbour
Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm | June 26 to 29, 2025
Sumptuous Stitch & Bead
Cathy Jack Coupland is an award winning artist working with beads and embroidery – both hand and machine. Colour and texture are hallmarks of her sumptuous designs. Recent gallery exhibitions featured work based on ocean life.
Cathy is also the creator of the Stitch Safari podcast, named one of the 20 Best Embroidery Podcasts 2021 by Welp magazine.
Join Cathy in the Stitch Studio at the fair.
She will conduct 4 one-day workshops. Book in to learn exciting embroidery techniques including mirror work, and beading, while exploring unique design possibilities. Book for a day or all four. The fee includes entry to the fair PLUS a bonus one-day ticket on another day.
Over 2025, Coupland will create 100 unique pieces of embroidered hoop art, each showcasing diverse techniques, colours and textures. 100 Stitched Circles is a vibrant self-set textile art project that celebrates the power of repetition, contrast, creativity and personal expression through embroidery.
Her daily practice inspires a meditative and transformative reflection of her passion for contemporary embroidery and her background in art and design.
Varying in style from abstract to intricate, showcases how the limitation in format can spark boundless creative innovation.
Join Cathy in the Stitch Studio where she will display some of the 100 Circles and join her in creating one of them.
Scroll down for class options and booking details.
Join a One-day Workshop
Each workshop will suit those with some embroidery skills, but demonstrations will be given. The techniques are not difficult to work and the results are stunning.
You will learn how to use a hoop, stitches to work with, ways to add and layer beads, and techniques to add dimension, texture and visual interest.
Join Cathy in this amazing 4×4 series of workshops and fall in love with embroidery again.
Students will be required to bring their own materials and tools. Bring the colourway you wish to work in.
Your booking includes entry to the fair AND a bonus one day ticket.
WHITE ICE
Thursday June 26: 10.15am to 3.45pm
Fee: $155
- Materials List: please bring:
• 4” wooden, adjustable embroidery hoop
• 15cm square of ivory silk or coloured fabric of your choice
• 15cm square of white acrylic felt to stabilise
• Large flat ring for central motif – you can use whatever you have in your stash, but this one is wide and flat
• Selection of at least three embroidery threads to match your fabric – small variations in colour are OK but include thick and thin threads for visual interest – even a hairy/fuzzy thread may be interesting
• A selection of beads including bugle, seed, pearls, crystals and sequins – again to match your chosen fabric. Think variety and contrast
• Beading needle and white beading thread
• Selection of embroidery needles – tapestry/sharps - Small sharp scissors
PINK FIZZ
Friday June 27: 10.15am to 3.45pm SOLD OUT
Fee: $155
Materials List: please bring:
• 4” wooden, adjustable embroidery hoop
• 15cm square of silk or coloured fabric of your choice
• 15cm square of white acrylic felt to stabilise
• 1×1” felt ball
• 1 2cm plastic craft ring – these could be repurposed
• 1×2.5cm/1” circular shisha mirror – plain with no embroidered edging
• Selection of two embroidery threads to match your fabric – one for Bullion Knots and a variegated to cover the ring
• A selection of beads including bugle, seed, pearls and crystals – again to match your chosen fabric. You’ll need large, medium and small beads to work around the mirror – think of proportion – this is only a 4” hoop and a 1” mirror
• Beading needle and white beading thread
• Selection of embroidery needles
• Small sharp scissors
FANCY PANTS
Saturday June 28: 10.15am to 3.45pm
Fee: $155
Materials List: please bring:
• 4” wooden, adjustable embroidery hoop
• 15cm square of silk or coloured fabric of your choice
• 15cm square of white acrylic felt to stabilise
• 1×2.5cm/1” circular shisha mirror with no embroidered edging
• Variegated gimp or thick thread to be couched
• Variegated Perle 5 thread
• Black and Gold Butterfly thread or simply a gold thread
• Bead soup mix to match your chosen fabric – this is easy to make yourself just mix a selection of beads including large, medium and small, including different shapes and colours in your chosen colour way
• Some small and tiny sequins and tiny black seed beads for outer design – lay the black bead on top of your tiny sequin to ensure it doesn’t overwhelm the sequin
• Beading needle and white beading thread
• Selection of embroidery needles
• Small sharp scissors
SIMPLY ELEGANT
Sunday June 29: 10.15am to 3.45pm
Fee: $155
Materials List: please bring:
• 4” wooden adjustable embroidery hoop
• 15cm square of silk or coloured fabric of your choice
• 15cm square of white acrylic felt to stabilise
• 1×2.5cm/1” circular shisha mirror with no embroidered edging
• Bead soup mix to match your chosen fabric – this is easy to make yourself just mix a selection of beads including large, medium and small, different shapes and colours of your chosen colour way
• Large beads or crystals for outer design
• Small gold sequins and tiny black seed beads to complete outer design
• Tiny seed beads in a colour to match your ground fabric
• Beading needle and white beading thread
• Selection of embroidery needles
• Small sharp scissors
Bookings are essential.
Materials Lists are a guide only – you may choose to work in a different colourway.
Numbers will be limited – book your place now.
