A Full Day Creative Workshop with Jules McKeown. No experience needed - just curiosity, a sketchbook, and a willingness to explore.

At the heart of textile design is drawing - not just as a skill, but as a personal and expressive language. This welcoming full-day workshop invites you to explore a range of drawing and mark-making techniques in a relaxed, supportive environment. Whether you enjoy fine detail or bold, expressive marks, you’ll be encouraged to develop your own visual style and translate it into ideas for textile and surface pattern design.

Through a series of playful and accessible exercises, you’ll explore new ways of seeing, thinking, and drawing. The day is designed to build confidence, loosen your approach, and expand your creative toolkit - showing how simple sketches can evolve into imaginative design outcomes.

Jules is a freelance print designer and Senior Lecturer in Textile Design, with a passion for intuitive, hand-drawn processes. Her workshops are known for being encouraging, energetic, and focused on experimentation, play, and embracing happy accidents.

What We’ll Explore

Across the day, you’ll be guided through a series of connected activities:

Expressive Mark-Making

Start by loosening up with a variety of tools and materials, exploring line, texture, and mark. Using simple prompts, you’ll create bold, intuitive drawings and begin building your own visual language.

Observational Drawing

Working from natural forms such as plants and flowers, you’ll explore techniques like continuous line and negative space to develop confidence in looking and drawing more closely.

Developing Motifs

Moving from observation into expression, you’ll transform your drawings into more stylised, personal motifs. Experimenting with scale, materials, and composition, you’ll begin to shape your own creative voice.

Introduction to Pattern

Finally, you’ll explore how to turn your motifs into a simple repeat pattern, learning the basics of layout and composition to create a flowing design.

Who It’s For

This workshop is open to anyone with an interest in drawing, textiles, or surface design - from complete beginners to those looking to reconnect with a more playful, hands-on approach.

What You’ll Take Away

By the end of the day, you’ll have a collection of drawing experiments, your own motifs, and a foundation repeat pattern. Most importantly, you’ll leave with renewed creative confidence and a set of techniques to continue exploring beyond the workshop.

Artist bio:

Jules is a passionate freelance print designer and Senior Lecturer in Textile Design at Leeds Arts University. With a lively, hands-on teaching style, she brings a wealth of experience in both practical and digital techniques, equipping students and workshop participants alike with the tools they need to thrive creatively and professionally.

In 2015, she founded The Pattern Social, a collaborative design platform that connects designers and educators to explore, promote, and celebrate contemporary pattern design. Jules believes deeply in the power of creative play and is always encouraging those she works with—whether in the classroom or at a workshop—to push their boundaries, take risks, and embrace their own unique design voice.

She has worked with an exciting mix of clients across fashion, interiors, stationery, greetings, and publishing, and has exhibited her work internationally at events like Surtex in New York under The Pattern Social name.

Jules’ design process is playful and experimental, often beginning with bold, hand-crafted elements—like collage, mark making, and sketchbook explorations—that evolve into polished digital designs using tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate. As a workshop attendee, you’ll get a glimpse into this process, discover new ways to make patterns, and gain the confidence to develop your own vibrant, personal style.

Whether you're a designer looking for fresh inspiration or simply someone curious about the world of pattern, Jules brings enthusiasm, expertise, and a supportive energy to help you explore, make, and most importantly—play.

www.thepatternsocial.com Instagram - @thepatternsocial

When attending a workshop you can receive 10% off within the Gallery Shop on the day of your session.

About the venue

Sunny Bank Mills is an inspirational cultural destination in the heart of the local community of Farsley, Leeds. Founded in 1829, these glorious Mills are being regenerated by the sixth generation of the family owners, creating a wonderful blend of work, leisure and culture.

Course terms and booking conditions

Workshop and course bookings can be cancelled and refunded up until 7 days before the scheduled start date. As materials and equipment are ordered in advance, we regret that refunds cannot be offered less than 7 days before the workshop date. Please note that Eventbrite’s booking fee is non-refundable.

If we need to cancel the course for any reason your ticket will be fully refunded

Description supplied by the event organiser.