Pattern Play
Julia Raath
14 November 2026
Day + Time | Saturday | Session 1, 10am-12pm | Session 2, 1-3pm
Location | Craft + Design Canberra, Level 1 North Building, 180 London Circuit, Canberra, ACT, 2601
Entry | General Public Ticket $75 | Members $67.50 | Bookings Essential
Access | template, template, template
Led by textile designer and educator Julia Raath, Pattern Play invites participants into an inspiring exploration of print and surface design. In the spirit of Dissent, this workshop embraces creative reuse and sustainable materials as a quiet but deliberate pushback against fast fashion and throwaway culture.
This workshop introduces block printing through a playful, low-tech approach. Participants will create their own patterned cloth, perfect for use as a bandana or reusable gift wrap, using printing blocks made from industrial offcuts and recycled materials. You will experiment with water-based inks on reclaimed textiles, learning how to combine textures, colours and layering techniques to develop striking patterns.
Designed for beginners and curious creatives alike, Pattern Play encourages intuitive exploration while offering a solid structure for skill development. You will test and refine your ideas before completing a final wearable artwork to take home.
With a focus on sustainable materials and creative reuse, this workshop offers a fun and engaging take on textile print design, blending artistic expression, environmental awareness and contemporary craft practice.
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WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
Learn the basics of block printing with printing blocks made from industrial offcuts and recycled materials.
Experiment with water-based inks on reclaimed textiles, combining textures, colours and layering techniques to develop your own striking patterns.
Take home a finished patterned cloth, perfect for use as a bandana or reusable gift wrap
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO BRING
All materials are provided.
THIS WORKSHOP IS BEST SUITED FOR
All ages and abilities welcome. Children must be accompanied by a parent or carer.
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Julia Raath is a textile print designer with a long-standing practice that blends commercial design, studio-based experimentation and extensive experience in design education. Her creative work is driven by a strong command of colour, composition and print techniques. She is currently focussed on producing limited-edition textiles using printing blocks made from repurposed materials and spending time painting still life arrangements using gouache and water colours.
She has created commercial prints for fashion and homewares, delivered private commissions through her studio Surfaced, and collaborated with a fair-trade organisation in India on design and product development.
Alongside this she has held significant roles in design education, including introducing new curriculum initiatives at UTS and coordinating Textile Design and Development at RMIT.
SEE ARTIST WEBSITE HERE
Images | Julia Raath | Block Printing | Photos courtesy of the artist