Textiles are a very tactile experience for me, consequently the many ways one can manipulate the cloth in shibori techniqes to achieve new and exciting outcomes are sheer joy. Dorset Buttons are another of my passions.

Barbara was the recipient of the first ever grant in Australia for an apprenticeship to work over a 2 year period with a Craftsmen in the Community – Erika Semler, Master Weaver

Barbara has attended many short and residential courses with leading artists from all over the world and within Australia including:

Weaving: Clothilde Barrett; Peter Collingwood; Ann Sutton; Sylvia & Harold Tacker; Erika Semler; Lily Krams; Roderrick Owen

Spinning: Madge Milston; Bertha Bochman

Colour & Design: David Green; Mary Beeston; Trevor Weeks

Dyeing Classes: Inga Hunter; Rosemary Crome, Patricia Black,
Alan Tremain; Ken Smith

Master Classes: Hiroyuki Shindo; Yoshiko I Wada; Ana Lisa Hedstrom; Jim Liles; Darcie Decerberie; Shigeki Fukomoto

Cyanotype (Blue Printing): Alvena Hall

Machine Embroidery: Ken Smith

Dorset Buttons: Thelma Johns; Marion Howitt

Barbara has traveled to World Shibori Symposiums in Chile, UK, Melbourne, Australia and Japan. She has led tours to visit weavers and dyers annually in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam annually over a 16 year period. Also led tours to textile studios in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, China and Japan. Also visited studios in South Africa and England.

Nomination accepted for BHP Award of Excellence
Madge Witts Memorial Award – Pacific Festival, Townsville
First Prize, Innisfail Art Show – textiles
First Prize, Mareeba Art Show – textiles
Highly Commended – Coffs Harbour Art Show
Second prize – Narrabri Cotton festival
First prize garment – Australian Craft Show
Prizes – Mudgee Field Days

Technical and Further Education Colleges;
University of Southern Queensland;
Fibre Forum Conference, Orange;
In-service courses for Department of Education NSW;
Handweavers and Spinners Guilds, Sydney, Tamworth, Newcastle and Tasmania;
Territory Craft: Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, Northern Territory;
Department of Education, Adelaide;
Embroidery Groups in Mosman and St Ives, NSW, Canberra ACT, Townsville and Atherton, Queensland;
Quilters Whirl, WA. Fibre Forum Artists Camps Broome and Cape Tribulation, Loomcraft – Handweavers & Spinners of NSW;
Australian Batik & Surface Design ACT;
Bonnie Begg Textile School, ACT.

Barbara has been President of Tamworth Handweavers and Spinners; Chairman of Craftsman in Community Project, Tamworth; Chairman of Fibre Forum Conference 1986, Tamworth; President of North Shore Craft Group

Private collections at home and overseas, including USA, Sweden, Japan and UK
Alice Craft Acquistions and Stanthorpe Regional Gallery.

Numerous articles in “Textile” magazine, Australia; “Fibreline”, ATASDA; Australian Handweaver & Spinner and “Inspiration” USA.

Barbara currently offers workshops in Shibori and Dorset Button Making. On request, she will also conduct workshops in Cotton Spinning and Cyanotype.

Juried Exhibitions
Itami Craft Exhibition, Japan; Lace for Fashion Award – Powerhouse Museum, Sydney; Textilla Australis, Craft Council of NSW, The Rocks

Group Exhibitions
World Quilt Show, Nagoya;
Arimatsu Shibori Festival, Japan;
Up over Down under Exhibition – USA & Australia;
Jos Graham Gallery, London;
Art to Wear Quilt Show, Darling Harbour;
Australian Craft Show – First Prize Garment;
Alice Craft Exhibition (collected);
Stanthorpe Regional Gallery (collected);
Australian Textile & Surface Design Association;
Sydney Handweavers & Spinners (Darling Harbour);
Townsville Pacific Arts Festival;
Tamworth National Fibre Exhibition;
Tamworth Pilot Group Exhibition;
Contemporary Design Craft Expo, Darling Harbour;
Fairfield Regional Gallery; Moree Regional Gallery;
“ Michael & Friends” Soho Gallery;
Fibre Imprints, Orange Regional Gallery – toured;
Almost Somebody – Fairfield Regional Gallery – toured;
Glenaeon Craft Show; Braemar Gallery;
River Artists Exhibition, Wisemans Ferry