Taliswoman Workshop : 2 days

Pay before: 31st July to receive 15% off. 
Use coupon code: 'taliswoman' on checkout.

Come join us for a weekend of slow stitching!

Time and date:
10-4pm each day
Sat 17th - Sun 18th October 2026
Victoria & Albert Guesthouse
Mount Victoria, Blue Mountains

Enjoy two days of slow stitching in the historic village of Mount Victoria, top of the Blue Mountains. Your hosts Dru Jones (Skipism on Instagram) and Kara Cooper (Mount Vic and Me) will guide you on a fun project creating your very own taliswoman in her hand stitched votive case, a travelling sanctum incorporating mementos and symbols of personal significance.

The Taliswoman you handmake is your personal deity. She provides strength, feminine wisdom and love. Once you finish one, you'll want to make them for family and friends. They make a wonderful gift.

What to bring:
Bring little trinkets, found things, scrap fabrics and trims, paper notes, small photos, jewelry or scraps you'd like to include. An odd earring or beads from broken necklace can be fun. If you have your own sewing kit, bring it along.

What we provide:
Fabrics, beads, buttons, threads, watercolour paints and brushes, pins and needles supplied. You'll also get a fabric sheet with ideas for faces of your Taliswoman if you aren't sure how to start. Use this to cut up and stitch if needed. 

Slow stitching is about taking a moment for yourself, a form of breathing and meditation and a lovely way to meet like-minded people. It's a quiet, gentle art that requires no previous sewing skills.

Where we'll be:
Workshop is run over two days in the Great Room at the Victoria & Albert Guesthouse. This is a huge cottage room in the garden with long table to work on or sit on the couch and relax. Order lunch and snacks at the café and meet for dinner on the Saturday night. Coffee and tea will be available as we stitch.

Saturday 4pm onwards we'll head up to Mount Vic and Me (a street away) to visit the shop. Then back to Victoria and Albert for drinks and dinner if you'd like to meet up.

Meet your hosts:

Dru Jones: Inspired to try textile art about six years ago, Dru combines eco-dyed and found fabrics, collage, painting and stitch in a narrative style. She has an enduring love of textiles that show signs of wear and a journey through hard times. Re-use of discarded materials is an important part of her work, which includes assemblage art, collage and drawing.

In the ‘70s, Dru’s training in visual communication set her on a path combining graphic design and post punk music, via the pioneering experimental record label M Squared, and she was a member of the band Scattered Order for many years. Dru continues to write and record with several sound art projects, and has had six solo releases over the last 12 years under the name Skipism. 

Kara Cooper: Kara is a graphic designer, illustrator and fabric designer who creates for her brand Mount Vic and Me. She trained back in the days pre-computers and always likes to create handmade items - especially in the wake of AI ripping off creatives. In the early 2000's Kara had a business creating recycled fabric handbags 'Kara Smith bags'. She's returned to her love of handmade after discovering how meditative slow stitching is. She loves to share her vintage fabrics, junk drawer finds and sewing projects at monthly Stitch Queens community day and workshops in Mt Victoria.

Accommodation:
Please book your weekend accommodation directly with the Victoria & Albert guesthouse. 

Other incredible accommodation options are Larsens Cottage, Closeburn House, Bank House or The Foyle and Cedar Lodge Cabins. The Manor House will be open in late Sept too (formally Hotel Etico).

Please note: All snacks/food separate.