Subjects
Fabric | Appliqué | Stitch
Tutor Bio
Kate Findlay is a Berkshire-based textile artist, teacher and speaker. She trained in industrial textiles at Kidderminster College and worked in the carpet industry before retraining as a teacher, going on to teach Design Technology and Art for many years.
Kate creates textile “fabric paintings” using appliqué, hand-dyed fabrics, print, paint and stitch. Her work has included a major series inspired by the Large Hadron Collider, alongside pieces inspired by birds, wildlife, landscapes and woodlands. She travels widely giving talks and workshops based on her textile practice.
Kate Findlay’s textile work combines fabric, appliqué, colour, stitch, print and paint to create detailed textile “paintings”. Her practice brings together strong design knowledge, technical textile experience and a deep enjoyment of image-making through cloth.
Kate’s earlier work included a major series inspired by the Large Hadron Collider, translating scientific structures and visual complexity into large textile pieces. More recently, her focus has turned toward the natural world, especially birds, wildlife, landscapes and woodlands. These subjects allow her to explore pattern, movement, colour and atmosphere through layered fabric and stitched surfaces.
As a tutor and speaker, Kate draws on her background in industrial textiles, classroom teaching and professional textile practice. Her workshops are practical and well-structured, giving students clear guidance while encouraging them to develop confidence with appliqué, fabric composition and surface detail. Her teaching is rooted in knowledge of materials and process, but remains accessible, lively and generous.